Takoradi, July 10, GNA - Street children and children under 18 years without parents cannot access the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Mr. Emmanuel R. Okyere, Sekondi Sub-Metropolitan Scheme Manager said at Takoradi.

Launching a Social Accountability Survey (SAS) report on the implementation of the Scheme in the Western Region, Mr. Okyere said children could access full benefits of the Scheme when a parent registered with the Scheme.

He said street children and children without parents could access the Scheme only when the NHIS Act was reviewed and some clauses in the Act were amended.

Mr. Okyere said scheme managers could not unilaterally register street children and children under 18 years who had no identifiable parents.

He said the current annual premium of 72,000 cedis should be reviewed because of the disparity in the average hospital attendance and the cost involved.

Mr. Okyere noted that without a review in the premium, operations of the schemes could be affected because of the increase in the financial demands on the scheme.

He regretted that some pharmacy shop attendants failed to refer to the drug list and asked clients of the scheme to purchase drugs. Mr. Okyere appealed to clients of the scheme to contact the nearest NHIS office with problems confronting them.