The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) would, next month, begin the biometric registration of its subscribers in the Volta Region, Mr Charles Agbesi, Public Relations Officer, told the media on Wednesday.

He said consequently, biometric registration equipment installation was underway in all districts for the smooth take-off of the exercise.

Mr Agbesi was speaking at a media interaction organised by the Ho Scheme ahead of a special registration exercise preceeding the roll-out of the biometric registration.

The Scheme had successfully rolled out biometric registration in the Greater-Accra, Central, Eastern and Ashanti regions.

Mr Agbesi said the biometric membership was to enhance “data integrity” of the NHIS membership system and help authenticate subscribers at the NHIS health provider sites.

He said there were plans to reach all communities and advised subscribers not to rush to be registered.

“Biometric registration has no deadline so there is no need for the public to rush. We advise that only people whose cards are near the expiry dates or first time subscribers should visit the registration centres to be attended to,” Mr Agbesi said.

He said the current cards remained valid until all subscribers were issued with the NHIS biometric card.

Mr Charles Agbeve, Ho Municipal NHIS Manager, said his outfit had developed special plans to register organised groups and institutions and said there was no need for people to come and wait at the offices of the Scheme.

A total of 915,838 persons are registered with the Scheme in the Volta Region.