Kintampo (B/A), Nov 8, GNA - Members of the Kintampo District Assembly at a meeting with Mr Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, Deputy Minister of Information, who is touring Brong Ahafo have called for the upgrading of medical assistants to enable them to play a more effective role in the District Mutual Health Insurance scheme.

It was stressed that the re-training and up-grading of medical assistants to work with medical doctors in hospitals would greatly help to reduce the perennial exodus of doctors to seek 'greener pastures' abroad.

The District Assembly held the meeting to welcome Mr. Asamoah-Boateng to the district as part of his weeklong tour, which has already taken him to Sunyani, Tano, Asunafo, Dormaa Berekum, Techiman, Wenchi and Jaman districts.

He met and interacted with media personnel and the general public on government policies including the national health insurance scheme. The meeting noted that the re-training and upgrading of the medical assistants would "soften the heat" of the exodus of medical doctors at our hospitals and clinics, especially with the implementation of the national health insurance scheme to replace the cash-and-carry system, the worker added.

The meeting urged the government to expand facilities at the Rural Health Training Centre in Kintampo to enhance the training of the medical assistants.

Mr. James Kwabena Bomfeh, District Chief Executive, said the District Assembly had received 1.012 billion cedis of HIPC funds for developmental programmes.

He added that the district had also received 105 million cedis from the office of Senior Minister J.H. Mensah towards the District Assembly's projects under the Social Investment Fund (SIF) The district is also seriously organizing women groups to benefit from the Ghana-Japanese grant, which is part of measures aimed at reducing poverty amongst women, the DCE said.

Mr Asamoah-Boateng assured the meeting to carry concerns and suggestions expressed to the appropriate quarters.