Takoradi, Jan. 20, GNA - Nana Kobina Nketsia V, Omanhene of Essikado traditional area has described as "immoral" the tendency of those who choose to play partisan politics with the National Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and emphasised the importance of healthcare delivery, which he said was invaluable to the people.

He said the health of the people could not be toyed with and adequate measures should be adopted to check all abuses that militate against the effective implementation of the Scheme.

Nana Nketsia said these when he presided over the closing session of the two-day annual peer review conference of the Network of Mutual Health Organisations of Ghana (GNEMHO) in Takoradi on Friday. Representatives of the various Mutual Health Insurance Schemes, District Assemblies, The Ministry of Health, private and public health facilities and institutions in the country and other major stakeholders including non-governmental organisations attended the conference. Nana Nketsia said the importance of the NHIS could not be overemphasised and no stone should remain unturned to ensure its successful implementation, adding that the success of the Scheme would go a long way to reduce poverty in the country.

He also called for the intensification of public education on the scheme to enable as many people as possible to register and the evolvement of adequate measures to ensure its sustainability. Mr Philip Akanzige, Ghana Health Service Coordinator of the NHIS, assured the people that allegations of malpractices made against some health personnel, particularly in the Western Region, were under investigation and those found culpable would face severe sanctions. He called for the identification of the roles of all stakeholders and a forum where representatives of all structures in the health sector would interact regularly to discuss successes and challenges in the sector.

Mr Akanzige lauded the reintroduction of the "nsamasama" concept to ensure environmental cleanliness and said the people must be sensitised to make healthy environment part of their daily lives since the concept alone could not achieve much.

Regular exercising of the body and balanced diet must be encouraged among the people to reduce disease burden, he said.

Mr Samuel Owusu-Agyei, Deputy Minister of Health, said as watchdogs and promoters of the activities of Mutual Health Organisations in the country, GNEMHO had the responsibility to monitor the activities of these organisations to ensure the judicious use of funds allocated to them.

GNEMHO is also expected to collaborate with service providers and the schemes to collectively work to "overcome the challenges that are gravely affecting the success of the NHIS".

"Irrespective of our political, religious and ethnic affiliations, we need to support and invest in the venture since it is only through this that we can build a healthy, happy nation for all", the Deputy Minister said.

Mr Frank Adu, Chairman of the National Health Insurance Council, in an address read for him said the Scheme should not be politicised because "health is not a political attribute but must be seen as an asset for national development."

He called for closer collaboration among stakeholders for the successful implementation of the scheme.

Mr Anthony Evans Amoah, Western Regional Minister, also in an address read for him enumerated some of the benefits of the NHIS to the individual and the nation and urged the people to embrace the idea and register as members.

He called for the removal of all bottlenecks that had contributed to low patronage from the people and such forums should work for the smooth implementation of the Scheme. 20 Jan. 07