Navrongo (U/E), Sept 15, GNA - The people of Kassena Nankana District in the Upper East Region has called on utility service providers in the country to be more transparent, polite and friendly to their clients.

The call was made by participants at a forum organised for the people and the utility service providers by the Movement of Collective Associations (MOCASS) in collaboration with ibis West Africa. The forum was to draw the client closer to the service providers to enable the client to know the kind of services provided and how it is delivered.

Participants had the opportunity to ask questions, which were of concern to them related to their areas of concern. Some of the service providers who were present at the forum were the Mutual Health Insurance Scheme, the Navrongo War Memorial Hospital, Ghana Water Company, Town and Country Planning, Survey Department, and the District Assembly.

Answering questions from the participants, Mr Kofi Konlan, Administrator of the Navrongo hospital, said while the hospital was doing its best to be upgraded, it was currently having three medical specialists on short term bases for the Neurosurgery, Gynaecology and Physiotherapy departments.

Mrs. Afua Williams, Deputy Director of Nursing Services said developing the hospital was a collective responsibility and appealed to the people of the area to be of good behaviour towards workers of the hospital, so as to attract more Doctors and Nurses, who do not want to work in the Upper East Region. She urged that the workers of the hospital be motivated to boost their morale to improve their attitude towards work. The District Chief Executive, Mr Emmanuel Andema, in a speech read on his behalf by the Deputy Coordinating Director, Mr Michael Awini Salifu, said the Freedom to Information Bill empowered every citizen to without fear of intimidation, question the activities of service providers, which to them was inimical to the development of society. Mr Andema noted that, the right to information should not be seen as witch hunting but one that would rather help in the quality of service. Answering questions on why the delay in the production of the National Health Insurance cards, the District Manager, Mr David Samari said the processing of the cards had been centralized in Accra and explained that although the cards delayed, the district office had improvised a temporal one for people to access health care when they were sick. Mr Samari said a total amount of GHC3,055,036.26 had been paid for the health of 271,014 people from 2007-2009. He assured the people of quality service and appealed to them to join the scheme.