Staff of the National Health Insurance Authority, (NHIA) have been tasked to develop new mental orientation and excellent work attitude in order to produce better performances even in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr. Fred Appiah, Central Regional Director of the NHIA who made the call, underscored the achievement of the Authority’s objective of providing universal health insurance coverage in the era of the pandemic to its staff’s commitment to exhibit best practices that made them more effective.

Speaking at the Region’s 2020 end of year performance review in Cape Coast where all the COVID-19 protocols were observed, Mr Appiah recounted the ravaging effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the general performance of the NHIA nationwide.

”The COVID-19 is with us again, this time more deadly and aggressive than before. There is therefore the need to open a new page in this new normal to better our performances,” he stressed.

The review was on the theme:”A new page in the new normal (COVID-19) for outstanding performance in 2021 and beyond”.

Mr Appiah assured that the Authority would not relent in its efforts, but continue to embark on aggressive public education and awareness to enroll more people onto the scheme.

On the Region’s performance in the year under review, he said a total of 47,319 indigents were registered onto the scheme, bringing its active membership to 863,445 representing 71 percent of the 1,224,580 target.

He said 31,346 of the new members were registered during the NHIS week celebration marked in November last year to commemorate the essence of active participation.

He mentioned that 472,432 people renewed their membership using the mobile renewal system, while there had been tremendous improvement in the reimbursement of claims to service providers.

He encouraged scheme members to use the mobile platform to renew their membership by dialing the short code *929# to avoid person-to-person contact to prevent the spread of COVID-19 which was surging.

According to Mr Appiah, effective public education and sensitization on the need for members to be enrolled onto the scheme and the implementation of some management and administrative reforms, which included restructure and development of holistic human resource policy had improved efficiency and transparency in governance. The Regional Director also took the opportunity to encourage the staff to observe all the covid-19 protocols as outlined and communicated by Executive Management of the NHIA to safeguard the lives all cherished stakeholders.

The district offices took turns to present their performance in the year under review as well as their plans and strategies for the New Year.

Mr. Dominic Archer, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Cape Coast Metropolitan office, said the District achieved 99.75 percent of the targeted 143,037 active membership.

Mr. Joseph Asamoah Muno, the Komenda -Edina-Eguafo-Abbrem District PRO, said the District would engage mobile money vendors, opinion leaders and fun clubs to help the grassroots make effective use of the Mobile Renewal system.