Techiman (B/A), July 28, GNA - Approximately 58,000 people registered with the Techiman Municipal Mutual

Health Insurance Scheme as from May 2005 to June this year. The figure was made up of 19,584 persons in the informal

sector, 4,190 SSNIT contributors, 222 SSNIT pensioners,

31,481 children less than 18 years, 2,718 aged and 144

vulnerable. Mr. David Afful, Manager of the Techiman Municipal Mutual

Health Insurance Scheme, who disclosed this at a general

assembly of the scheme in Techiman said it had been

estimated that the number of registered persons would reach

100,000, following the intensive public education to sensitise

the people to embrace it. He reiterated that the task ahead to get the scheme firmly

established in the municipality should be the concern of all,

since the managers were also doing their best and called on

the public to support it. Mr. Richard Asamoah, Public Relations Officer of the

Scheme, said, the total premium collected from registered

people rose from 1.5 billion cedis last year to 4.5 billion cedis

as at June this year and attributed this to the trust people had

in the scheme. He said education on the general policy of the scheme was

on-going throughout the municipality and called on the people

to listen to their messages and comply to make the scheme a

success. The PRO said even though the first registration exercise

ended at the end of June, it was the intention of the scheme to

open up for the second batch of registration by the end of

August this year, though the photo-taking exercise was going

on in most of the communities. Nana Owusu Gyare, Akwamuhene of Techiman and

Chairman of the general assembly commended officials of

the scheme for "a very good work done so far", even though

people in the municipality expressed doubts at its inception. He noted that the zeal that the officials exhibited was an

indication that there were better times ahead to get the

scheme going in the municipality and called on them to

maintain the spirit. Nana Owusu said the scheme intended to put up its own

offices and called on the Municipal Assembly to support it to

accomplish this objective.