Abrem-Agona (C/R), March 26, GNA - The Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem Municipal Chief executive, Mr George Frank Asmah, has suggested that registration for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) should be made compulsory to ensure that all Ghanaians are covered. Mr Asmah said if this was done one should, for instance, be required to show his/her NHIS card before getting on board public transport and parents seeking admission for their children in schools should be made to produce NHIS cards. He said this at the inauguration of the Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) at Saman-Abotar-Park, near Abrem-Agona. The structure for the facility, which is to be run by a community health nurse and an assistant with the support of some volunteers from three communities, was donated by the people and refurbished by the Municipal Health Directorate. The CHPS facility, which is the seventh in the municipality, will provide treatment for minor ailments, family planning and school health services and would cater for about 3,500 people in the area and their surrounding communities who hitherto had to travel about 9 kilometres to Abrem-Agona for health care.

Mr Asmah appealed to Ghanaians to register with the NHIS as well as practice preventive health care and gave the assurance that the municipal assembly would support the facility. The Municipal Director of Health Services, Dr Yaw Ofori-Yeboah, said the absence of an accessible health facility in the area had created a vacuum that had been filled by spiritualists and faith healers who attribute all illnesses to curses and witchcraft. He said the activities of these persons had been contributing to the ill health of children, expectant mothers and many others. The Deputy Central Regional Director of Health, Nana Owusu-Boampong, appealed to the people to patronize it to particularly safeguard maternal health service delivery. The Regional Minister Nana Ato Arthur who inaugurated the facility, pledged to provide a generator for the facility and that the road leading to the area will be rehabilitated.