Sekondi, April 10,-GNA -The Sekondi Sub-Metro office of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has accredited 11 chemical sellers and three Pharmacy shops and one private clinic to serve as health care providers for the scheme.

Mr Reinfred Okyere, Scheme Manager disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview at Sekondi on Tuesday. He said the accreditation was meant to enable beneficiaries of the scheme to have access to drugs that were contained in the NHIS drug list.

They are Joak, Kendicks, Millenium Pharmacies and the Danvic Clinic. The rest are Nock, Danelisabeth, Dorcas Brookman, David Sagoe, A. A. A. Mensah, R.E. Fynn, L.C.D., Elisabeth Ansah, Solid Rock, Niksen and Forance Chemical stores.

Mr. Okyere said between November 2005 and February 2006, the scheme paid a total of 43 million cedis for 512 patients of the Sekondi sub-metro.

He said out of the figure, 32 million cedis were paid to the hospitals while 11 million cedis were paid to accredited pharmacy and chemical shops.

Mr. Okyere said so far the scheme had issued out 7,147 NHIS identification cards (IDs) and 21,441 Health Facility Attendance Cards (HFAC). He urged those who have still not registered with any NHIS to do so promptly for their own good.

Mr. Okyere assured residents within the Sekondi Sub-Metro that the scheme would soon issue their IDs and HFAC to them to enable them to access health care. 11 April 06