Takoradi, Sept.23, -GNA - The Management of the Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Mutual Health Insurance Scheme has said, after a year's operations the scheme had proved to be beneficial and all efforts must be made to ensure its sustenance.

Ms. Aba Walters, the Public Relations Officer of the Scheme said thousands of people who registered to join the scheme were treated free of charge at designated health facilities for ailments that would have cost them millions of cedis to treat if they had failed to join it. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency on the performance of the scheme on Saturday, she urged those who have not registered with the scheme to do so without further delay.

Ms Walters said the Management had received testimonies from many people who could not have paid for their medical bills some of which were as high as six million cedis, but because they were members of the scheme, they had free medical treatment.

This, she said, had encouraged many others to join the scheme, saying, "this time round, the turn out and the general enthusiasm towards the scheme is very encouraging".

Reacting to complaints from a section of the people who claim that the payment of premium, ranging between 72,000 cedis and 480,000 cedis per annum was too much, Ms Walters said considering the benefits, it was the best. This year, registration would attract a fee of 20,000 cedis for adult's only and 10,000 cedis for passport photographs for identity card. Ms Walters explained that the fee would help to meet part of the high administrative cost in running the scheme.