Nsawkaw, (B/A), Dec. 27, GNA - A total number of 11,077 people have registered with the Tain district mutual health insurance scheme since it took off in 2005.

Mr. Peter Kwasi Sarpong, District Manager of the scheme, who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Nsawkaw said the scheme mobilized 298 million cedis out of the premium of 77,000 cedis per client.

He said the N ational Insurance Council also gave 444 million cedis in support of the claims made on clients.

Mr. Sarpong said 12 health facilities at Nsawkaw, Badu, Debibi, Seikwa and Banda-Ahenkro in the district were the service providers. He however, noted that the scheme was confronted with financial problems as it had exhausted all its income and had outstanding claims to make between October and December this year. The district manager appealed to the National Insurance Council to assist the district scheme to settle the claims. Mr. Sarpong said the premium had been increased to 115,000 cedis for the renewal of registered members while new members would pay 120,000 cedis in 2007.

He commended the district assembly for its support for the scheme's activities and mentioned the assembly's arrangement for means of transport to facilitate the movement of scheme's management to deprived communities.

The district manager called on traditional authorities and other opinion leaders to help in the educational campaign to get more people to register with the scheme.