Sunyani, July 18, GNA - Sunyani Mutual Health Insurance Scheme has registered 270 pregnant women since President John Agyekum Kufuor announced the introduction of the free maternal delivery package.

All of them have been issued with ID cards to enable them to access free maternal health service at both public hospitals and accredited private health service providers in the municipality.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr. Isaac Afari, acting Scheme Manager, said pregnant women would under the new system enjoy ante-natal, delivery and post-natal services. "The motive is to prevent and reduce maternal deaths which is part of government's commitment to achieving the millennium development goals", he said.

Mr. Afari said the new system not only catered for maternal cases but other diseases like fibroid and emergency accident cases andpregnant women already holding health insurance cards also qualified to enjoy the facility.

The Scheme Manager said the new system would cover four years after which it would be reviewed to ascertain if the set target of preventing and reducing the high rate of maternal deaths had been met.

He said the mutual scheme was preparing data for pregnant women who had flooded the premises and would be issued with temporary ID cards pending the introduction of the universal health insurance card that would enable them access free maternal service any where in the country. Some of the pregnant women who spoke to the GNA commended the government for introducing the system.

They said the programme had given "both the haves and the have-nots equal access to quality maternal health care".

Abigail Ayitey, a resident of Sunyani, said it was a worthy programme and promised "to spread the good message to others". Mary Ackah said the new system would help the poor who, otherwise, might not have been able to access quality health service. Abiba Alhassan said a lot of pregnant women abandoned their babies after delivery because they could not afford the hospital bill due to poverty.

"This gesture by the government will stem this practice", she noted and urged the authorities to ensure the prompt supply of drugs needed at the hospitals to avoid shortages.