Apam (C/R), Nov. 3, GNA - Ghanaians have been urged to exercise maximum restraint to enable to them cope with the numerous challenges that would be unfolded during the implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

Dr Charles Ntsiamoah Takyi, Medical Superintendent in charge of the Apam Catholic Mission Hospital, gave the advice at Apam when Directors and Management of the Gomoa District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme (GDMHIS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Management of the Hospital.

Under it, Apam Mission Hospital would serve as the major healthcare provider for the GDMHIS.

Dr Takyi said the introduction of the new health delivery system would definitely increase the workload of various government hospitals, clinics, as well as private health facilities that would provide healthcare for millions of people, who would register with district, municipal and metro-health insurance schemes. This, Dr Takyi noted, required greater amount of patience from the public, particularly sick people, who would be sourcing healthcare from accredited service providers.

He said doctors, nurses, paramedical workers of Apam Mission Hospital had always maintained a high standard of quality healthcare for the general public that came their way and promised to maintain that credible image by ensuring that the mutual health insurance scheme succeeded in the area.

Dr Takyi appealed to the Government to assist mission hospitals in their efforts to expand their facilities to enable them to provide people in the rural areas with more quality service.

The Chairman of the GDMHIS Board of Directors, Nana Mbireku Annto called for equitable disbursement of funds voted by the Government for the implementation of the NHIS to attain its goals. Nana Annto said he was not happy that while some districts in the country were allocated as much as half-a-billion cedis, Gomoa District was given only 100 million cedis.

He said that for the NHIS to work satisfactorily in all parts of the country, there was the need for transparency and equity in the disbursement of funds meant for the implementation of the scheme at all levels.

Ms Joyce Aidoo, Gomoa District Chief Executive, called for co-operation, teamwork and unity of purpose among scheme workers and other stakeholders in the District to ensure total attainment of the aspirations of the scheme.

She stressed the need for chiefs in the district to play active role in the Mutual Health Insurance Scheme sensitisation programmes to win more clients and also collect adequate premiums to sustain the scheme.

Ms Aidoo expressed the hope that medical personnel in the various hospitals and clinics in the district that would help in the implementation of the scheme would live up to expectation to sustain the interest of the people in the NHIS.

The Omanhene of Gomoa Assin Traditional Area, Okukutan Ahor Ankobea II, who presided over the function, thanked the Government for mustering the courage to put the new health financing system in place and charged Ghanaians to embrace it and to contribute their quota towards the total success of the scheme.

Signatories of the MOU included, Dr Takyi and Nana Annto, who represented the Apam Mission Hospital and the GDMHIS Board, respectively, the District Chief Executive, Ms Joyce Aidoo, the District Director of Health Services and Dr Theophilus Koomson, Gomoa District Scheme Manager.