Hohoe, June 27, GNA - The Jasikan District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme (JDMHIS) on Monday, paid 102.6 million cedis to identifiable Service providers as medical claims at a ceremony at Jasikan in the Volta Region.

The Service providers are the Jasikan District Hospital, the Worawora Hospital; the Green Leaf Clinic at Okadjakrom, Hohoe District Hospital and the Saint Marquart Hospital at Kpando.

The claims were for the period January to May, this year. Nana Odam Siaw V, Chief of Buem Nsuta and Board Chairman of the Scheme, said that an amount of 295.7 million cedis being subsidy for the exempt groups and Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) contributors had been released by the National Health Insurance Council (NHIC) for the period between December 28, 2005 and June 6, 2006. He said the subsidy was however, commuted based on the number of Identification (ID) cards printed.

Nana Siaw said a total of 122 million cedis were collected as premium from the 68,124 people, who had registered, adding that, 2, 076 children under 18 years old of fully paid up members, 2,821 aged and 201 indigents also completed the formalities.

The Board Chairman said 2,099 SSNIT contributors and 182 SSNIT pensioners were recorded while 7000 Identity (ID) Cards were printed. Nana Siaw stated that the complaints of clients included the lackadaisical attitude of some service providers towards patients at health facilities, prescribing medicine not on the Health Insurance Drug list and service providers collecting various sums of money at weekends.

Mr Francis Douglas Sogblame, Scheme Manager, said the initial political misconception about the scheme was a setback, which prevented many people from willingly coming forward to embrace it. He said 350 trainee teachers of the Jasikan Training College were enrolled as a result of an agreement for the deducting of their premium from source totalling 39 million cedis and IDs being issued to them. Mr Valentine Fiah-Tse, Principal Accountant of the Hohoe Hospital, on behalf of the service providers thanked the JDMHIS for the collaboration, which made it possible for clients with ID cards to seek prompt medical attention in other districts with ease. He appealed for the extension of education on the re-opening of registration for the Scheme countrywide.