Takoradi, Feb. 01 - GNA- Doctor Sylvester Anemana, Western Regional Director of Health Services has called on the management of the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital (ENRH), to avoid mixing children and other vulnerable groups together at the casualty unit.

He said children, the elderly and other vulnerable groups should be given "life saving treatment first" to prevent deaths as they wait for a Doctor.

Dr. Anemana said these at the 2006 annual review conference of the ENRH at Takoradi on Thursday.

He said the vulnerable groups needed urgent attention and must have a special treatment; stabilisation and this must be done as soon as they arrive at the hospital. He said to ensure its implementation, the nurses at the casualty unit must be equipped to offer care and support to save the lives of the vulnerable and improve on their turn around time. Dr. Robert Sagoe Medical Superintendent of the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital said the general attitude of Ghanaians towards the National Health Insurance (NHIS) needed to be reversed to ensure that more people register and access health care easily.

He said government officials were doing very little to ensure the success of the NHIS, while the hospitals revolving fund is unable to meet the increasing demand through the exemption of the vulnerable. Dr. Sagoe said the huge outstanding debts and delays in the payment NHIS claims had contributed, to the situation. He said the hospital raised a total of 11.668 billion cedis internally. Out of this figure, the hospital secured 2.3 billion cedis from the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), through claims refund. Dr. Mensah said the nation's jubilee should motivate more people, to join in the celebrations and contribute towards national growth.