Kumasi, Jan 23, GNA - Mr. Franklin Okyere, Public Relations Officer (PRO) at the Asokwa office of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Kumasi, has cautioned people peddling false information about the NHIS to desist from such acts since it could not only discourage people from patronizing the scheme but also lead to its collapse. He said he was not happy that as soon as President John Atta Mills was sworn into office certain people started going round with rumours that staff of the scheme had been showing lackadaisical attitude towards work to sabotage the new government.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Kumasi he said recruitment of staff into the scheme was strictly on merit and due process was followed so there was no proof that the entire staff of the scheme belonged to a political party.

He said staffs of the scheme were at post and cautioned people not to allow themselves to be deceived by some politicians who have intended to use them to achieve their selfish gains at the expense of the nation's development.

The PRO said workers of the scheme were doing everything possible to enhance its development and called on card bearers to continue to use them as well as those who want to go and register to do sot. Mr. Okyere also refuted the allegation that NHIS card bearers were only given paracetamol tablets when they visited health facilities where the card is accepted and said these were attempts calculated at discouraging people from registering with the scheme.

He appealed to the government to review the payment of funds for claims which are released quarterly to enable them pay their service providers who keep chasing them and sometimes threatened to discontinue working with them.