Sunyani (B/A), June 27, GNA - Some 503,204 people in the Brong-Ahafo Ahafo Region have registered for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and premiums paid by members amount to 13,662,500 cedis. Statistics from the regional office of the scheme indicated that 90 per cent of the registered members had been issued with Identification Cards (ID).

Mr Philip Akanzinge, Regional Co-ordinator and Technical Advisor of the Scheme, told the GNA that the scheme would to commence in the region by July 1. He said registered members in the Nkoranza, Berekum, Kintampo, Asutifi, Wenchi, Jaman North and Dormaa districts who had paid their premiums were impatient about the slow pace of the implementation of the scheme.

"There is going to be a national meeting on June 29 in Accra and we are hoping that the necessary requirements for the implementation of the scheme would be met". Mr Akanzinge said the regional office of the scheme was waiting for the National Health Insurance Council to transfer each scheme's funds to cover exempted groups. He appealed to the authorities at the national office of the scheme to provide the necessary inputs to facilitate the scheme.