Drobo (B/A), Aug. 04, GNA - Mr. John E. K. Pratt, President of Network of Mutual Health Insurance Organisation of Ghana on Friday said government is taking steps to procure about 800 computers and 150 pick-ups for all mutual health insurance offices across the country. This, he said, formed part of government's measures to meet the logistical needs of such offices, which were in dire need of equipment necessary for the smooth running of the scheme, particularly as the scheme is to be networked.

Mr. E. K. Pratt said this at the Fourth Annual General Meeting of the Jaman South Health Insurance Scheme. The meeting was to review the performance and the pragmatic ways of registering more people into the scheme and to deal with other problems retarding the progress of the scheme.

The President said his outfit is making arrangement to give accreditation to all health service providers, which qualified after they have been examined by the team, which would be dispatched to undertake this task.

Mr. Pratt also urged them to channel all grievances and problems hindering the implementation of the scheme in the district for possible redress.

In an address read on his behalf, Alhaji Dr. Mohammed Bin Ibrahim, Regional Director of Health Services noted that claims management was the major impediment obstructing the smooth running of the scheme in the region.

He said this was due to the lack of education on the part of some people who, accessed health service at more than one location. He condemned the attitude of some health service providers, whom he said, played on the ignorance of some contributors to the scheme and charged them exorbitant fees at the non-members.

" Others are misinformed by these health service providers and are made to believe that there are specific days in which one can walk to such health centres for medical attention. They are turned off and asked to come on a later day", he added.

The Regional Director revealed that about 1.3 billion cedis has been released to hospitals in the district to help boost their programmes.

Mr. Raphael D. Dagoe, District Health Director said the scheme this year registered 34, 984 persons representing 34 per cent of the district's population as against 46 per cent for last year. He attributed the problem to the non-payment of cocoa farmers in the district.

Mr. Dagoe added that there are now more than nine health facility centres operating in the district and called on the National Health Insurance Council to give accreditation to all to enable them to rope into the scheme.

He said negotiations to ensure the removal of all bottlenecks, which affected the smooth implementation of the scheme, is underway and called on all to register with the scheme.

In his welcome address, Mr. Apraku Tanor, DCE pledged the commitment of the government to build a new office for the scheme. He commended the staff, nurses and management of the scheme for contributing in diverse ways to ensure the establishment of the office in the district and hoped that other health centres would tap their rich experience.

In a speech read for him, Mr. Ignatius Baffour-Awuah appealed to all and sundry to register with the scheme as it was the aim of the government to bring affordable health delivery to the people.