Wa, Feb. 13, GNA - The Upper West Civil Servants Mutual Health Insurance Scheme has paid GHC12,000 to

service providers since its inception in 2005. It therefore owes no service provider or has any outstanding claims to pay, Mr Geoffrey Tuu, Manager of

the Scheme has said. He said the scheme receives GHC1,496 from its 2,700 members, who pay GHC1, as dues each month. Mr Tuu made these known at the annual general meeting of the scheme in Wa on Friday to take stock of its

performance and to strategise on how to improve its operations for 2010. He said the Upper West Region was the only region that has the scheme operating and urged members to

take interest in its activities to make it sustainable. Mr Mahmud Khalid, Upper West Regional Minister, in a speech read on his behalf by Alhaji Alhassan

Issahaku, Deputy Coordinating Director, commended members of the association and urged them to

contribute meaningfully towards improving service delivery under the scheme. He urged members to take into cognizance the successes, the failures, and challenges that confront the

scheme and come out with pragmatic strategies towards its sustainability. He said Civil Service was the only public institution extensively recognised as having the unique capability

and mandate to implement governments' policies effectively and efficiently at all times. Mr Khalid said because of the important role Civil Servants play in the country, there was the need to

establish regular programmes to institutionalize the periodic reviews to ensure its continuity. He said it was therefore not out of place that the scheme was established to take care of the health needs

of the Civil and Local Government Staff to make them healthier and more productive at work their place. He advised members of the association not to allow issues of tariffs, accommodation, job security and

delays in claims to adversely affect the smooth operations of the scheme. Mr Khalid gave the assurance that government would put in place pragmatic measures towards providing

and enhancing existing facilities; build up capacity of staff in the health sector to continue to ensure that

quality and prompt health care services were delivered at the doorsteps of the people. He reminded members of the association that the health profile of the people in the region was low as it

was characterised mainly by the prevalence of maternal and child deaths, malnutrition, poor environmental

sanitation and persistent high morbidity, resulting from preventable disease. Mr Khalid urged people in the region to do more about promoting quality healthcare for themselves by

adopting the best health practices. He said support for primary healthcare, the community health planning and services, expansion and the

provision of equipment to health facilities were government's priority concerns. He said the construction of a regional hospital and the provision of health centres in some selected

communities in the region would soon be built. 13 Feb. 10