The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in the Upper West Region, has despite the odds achieved most of its key performance targets for 2016.

With hard work, determination and commitment, the Scheme grew its active membership in the region by six per cent, from 459,270 members in 2015 to 486,030 members in 2016

Mr Abass Suleymana, Regional Director of the NHIS who revealed this at a media briefing in Wa said the year also recorded 95,207 new registrants and 346,837 renewals.

He noted that during the same period, the Region made a phenomenal progress in coverage of the poor and vulnerable by registering a total of 128,688 in 2016 as against 115,075 in 2015 representing a 12 per cent increase.

“This incredible growth in registration of the poor and vulnerable groups is evident to the fact that the NHIS contributed and continue to contribute immensely to prevent catastrophic health expenditure and poverty”, he pointed out.

Mr Suleymana said increased membership enrolment, increased health service utilisations, promotion of Public, Private Partnership (PPP) in the health sector contributed directly or indirectly to the expansion of infrastructure within the health sector were some of the successes of the scheme since its introduction over a decade ago.

Others are introduction of the e-claims adjudication system, the Biometric Membership Registration System, deepened stakeholder engagement and collaboration as well as introduction of the paperless registration system.

Notwithstanding the gains made, Mr Suleymana said the Scheme still faced some internal and external challenges.

He said very soon, cost containment measures introduced such as clinical audit, claims processing centres, consolidated premium account, capitation, electronic claims management systems, Biometric Membership System and strengthening of monitoring and evaluation at all levels would begin to show the needed impact.

He said based on scheme’s resolve to improve quality delivery, it would take its services to the door steps of its clients in order to bridge the knowledge gap and sustain the confidence the public in the Region.