Nkwanta (V/R), July 13, GNA - The Nkwanta District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme has been plagued by abuses resulting in patient's seeking double healthcare delivery. The situation was increasing the cost of treatment per patient, Mr Joseph Booker Denteh, District Chief Executive (DCE) of Nkwanta told a General Assembly meeting. He said the emerging phenomenon was swelling treatment cost and subjecting the Scheme to disarray.

The DCE said in 2006, total attendance at health facilities was 18,346 with the average cost of treatment per patient at the hospital standing at GH(11.00 (110,000 cedis) and that of health centres being four GH(4.00 (40,000 cedis).

He said the heavy attendance being recorded at the district's two major health facilities -- Nkwanta District and the Saint Joseph's Catholic hospitals -- for minor ailments, which could have effectively been handled at other health centres including the Community-based Health Planning Schemes (CHPS), militated against the smooth operation of the Scheme in the district.

Mr Denteh said despite these floundering mishaps, the Scheme recorded 7,571 attendances for which it paid a sum of GH(72,751 to service providers and registered 133 surgical operations at a cost of GH(33,225 as at May, this year.

He said 36,300 people were registered since the inception of the Scheme with 24,098 being card bearers.

The DCE said GHC(141,740 was received as government subsidy; GH(32,498 was received as premium in the 2006 financial year. Under the National Youth Employment Programme, a total of 322 were recruited in the Community Education Assistant module, 287 into agric-business, 61 recruited in the Health Education (Health Aids), 36 serving in the Environmental and waste management with two new modules, sanitation and community policing recruiting 60 youths. Mr Denteh said two medical students would be sponsored by the Assembly and offered employment when they completed school while a new Assembly complex would be constructed soon.

He pledged his administration would continue to maintain a policy of consultation and consensus building, which are key demands for sustaining the emerging democratic culture as well as the decentralization processes.