Aboadze (W/R), Jan 15, GNA- Mr Joseph Boahen Aidoo, the Western Regional Minister, on Thursday called on District Chief Executives in the region to ensure that the implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) starts immediately in their districts. He made the call when opening a two-day Regional Forum on Health Insurance at Aboadze near Takoradi.

About 80 participants including district chief executives, presiding members, district coordinating directors and district medical officers are attending the forum.

It was organised by the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) and the Regional Health Committee with sponsorship from the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS). Mr. Aidoo said the implementation of the health insurance scheme has to start as soon as practicable despite the fact that the Legislative Instrument (LI) to back the implementation is not ready and the National Health Insurance Council (NHIC) also not constituted. "The delay in coming out with an L.I and NHIC do not mean implementation cannot start. Starting the implementation now will help bring up all the issues that the L.I. will need to address."

Dr Slyvester Anemana, the Regional Director of Health Services, said one of the objectives of the forum is to find ways of bringing existing Mutual Health Insurance Schemes on board with the district health insurance schemes.

He said some organisations implementing Mutual Health Insurance Schemes are not happy that they have been left out of the district health schemes.

Dr. Anemana said he hoped the forum would achieve its aim to ensure smooth implementation of the scheme in all the eleven districts of the region.

He said it is expected that as many people as possible would register for the scheme to ensure that at least 60 percent of residents in every district register within the next five years. Mr. George Offeogbu, acting chairman of the Regional Health Committee, called on the people to support the health insurance scheme and to come out with suggestions on how to improve its implementation.