Manso-Nkwanta (Ash), May 01, GNA - Nana Bi-Kusi Appiah II, Omanhene of Manso-Nkwanta Traditional Area, has commended the government for the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). He said the scheme is one of the positive steps the government has taken to give equal access to health care and is one of the major achievements the government could boast of.

Nana Bi-Kusi Appiah said this when he inaugurated the first general assembly meeting of the Amansie West Mutual Health Insurance Scheme at Manso-Nkwanta at the weekend.

He appealed to citizens of Amansie West who have not yet registered with the scheme to do so for affordable health care. The Omanhene said the Manso-Nkwanta Traditional Council would soon come out with byelaws to enable cocoa farmers who have not paid for the NHIS to be deducted at source anytime they sent their cocoa for sales.

Mr Oscar Asare Andor, the Scheme Manager, said out of 111,820 people, 24,358 have made full payment of their premium totalling 1.278 billion cedis.

So far, 164.335 million cedis have been paid as claims for 2,506 beneficiaries.

Mr Ben Kwakye-Adeefe, the District Chief Executive, said the assembly was constructing an office accommodation for the District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme at the cost of 480 million cedis. The assembly has also supported the district health directorate in the areas of malaria control programme, national mass immunization programme, HIV/AIDS education programme and construction of the Buruli Ulcer ward at the Saint Martin's Catholic Hospital at Agroyesum.