Saltpond (C/R), Aug. 20, GNA- Management of Ghana Life Insurance Company (GLICO) on Saturday presented six million cedis cheque to the Mfantsiman District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme (MDMH) for the payment of registration fees and premiums sixty needy people at Saltpond Zongo free of charge.

Speaking at the function, Alhaji Musah Ben Ahmed, Managing Director of the company, said the gesture was in support of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

He said the company plans to extend the gesture to people facing abject poverty in the Northern part of the country. Alhaji Ben Ahmed stressed the need for Ghanaians to ensure regular medical check-ups to enable them know their health status and guard against instant deaths caused by hypertension and diabetes, which is equally dangerous.

He said, that even though the two health problems were fearful, they could be effectively managed to prolong the life span of people who have them, if the people cultivate the habit of regular medical check-ups as part of their lifestyle.

Alhaji Ben-Ahmed charged Muslim youth to make hard work, discipline and respect for authority as their hallmark in all aspects of their national life to enable them contribute purposefully to community and national development.

Mr. Frank Neequaye Bord chairman for Mfantsiman District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme, who received the cheque on behalf of the scheme, thanked the company for the gesture and advised beneficiaries of the gift, to embrace the NHIS policy firmly and also educate their relatives and friends who have the means but for one reason or the other decided not join the scheme to do so without any further delay. Speaking to the press after the function, Mr. Frank Quartey Papafio, Managing Director of an Accra-based Software Engineering Consultancy Firm, described the NHIS as the best health policy ever adopted by a ruling government and advised the citizenry to embrace it and help it to succeed.

Mr Godfred Gyabi-Arthur, Manager of the Mfantsiman District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme had earlier told the press that the scheme had, as of now, registered about 36,000 clients and issued out identification cards over 12,000 of them.

He said premiums paid so far stood at 399,138,393 cedis, while ID card bearers who had sourced healthcare with their cards totalled 3,592.