Health News of Wednesday, 26 June 2013

Source: GNA

Nsaba needs Heath Insurance Office - Forum

A Nutrition Officer has appealed to the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), to establish a District Health Insurance Office at Agona Nsaba, to enable more people in the area get registered with the Scheme.

Mr Bernard Kwarpong, Agona East District Nutrition Officer, made the appeal at a health forum at Agona Nsaba, to sensitize the people on the rights of patients.

It was organized by the Young and Lonely, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) based in the district, and sponsored by Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights, an Accra-based NGO.

Mr Kwarpong expressed regret that due to the absence of an NHIS Office in the Nsaba district, inhabitants had to travel as far as to Agona Swedru before they could be registered with the scheme.

This, he said, has made it impossible for most people in the district to become members of the scheme.

The Nutrition Officer said a research has revealed that due to financial constraints, only a few members of the scheme in the district could travel to Agona Swedru to renew their membership.

Ms Vicky Okine, Executive Director of Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights, sponsors of the forum, said the objective of the NGO was to track Ghana’s health achievements on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Four and Five.

The executive director disclosed that the NGO would soon dispatch a health research team to the Agona East District, to evaluate how the forum has helped to improve the health status of the people.

Mr Gilbert Germain, Executive Director of Young and Lonely, appealed to the Ghana Education Service to impress upon teachers to teach reproductive health lessons in basic schools, to equip pupils with skills on their civic rights to Health.