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Private health insurance provider, Nationwide Mutual Healthcare [NMH], has launched a series of activities to mark its 10th anniversary since beginning operations in Ghana. As the first ever private health insurance provider in Ghana, General Manager, Anthony Sowah believes the company has come far and therefore needs to celebrate the achievement. �We have come a long way and it is a significant milestone worth celebrating. We have operated in very challenging circumstances, but there have been some notable achievements along the line,� he said. He added that, �Although Ghana, under the leadership of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, enjoyed free medical healthcare, the system was reversed probably because successive governments, couldn�t sustain budget allocation for the continuity of the system hence the introduction of the Cash and Carry regime.� According to Anthony Sowah, the emergence of Nationwide Mutual Health was at crucial time since; Health Insurance is a major and important part of the solution to meeting the long term challenges of health systems as it eases the burden of funding and preserve choice within the healthcare arena. Speaking at the anniversary launch in Accra, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nationwide Mutual Health, Mrs. Nancy Ampah pointed out that the establishment of the Scheme was a brainchild of members of the Society of Private Medical and Healthcare Practitioners, who developed the idea as far back as 1987, a dream which was realised in 2003. Mrs. Nancy Ampah also entreats government to encourage private sector participation in the provision of Healthcare Insurance by empowering the private sector to augment the efforts of the National Health Insurance Authority so as to deliver the best of healthcare services to the people. She however revealed that Nationwide Mutual Health will be amending their business modules to conform to the changing environment and to keep its operations abreast with current developments in the health sector. Anniversary Activities Activities lined up to mark the anniversary include a health-walk from the Accra Polo Ground through some principal streets of Accra and back to the Polo Ground on Saturday, October 25. Next, on Thursday, NMH will be undertaking some donations to the La General Hospital and the Children Hospital. Then a free dental screening and basic care for over 1,500 schoolchildren at Adenta. Then on Saturday, November 1st, there will be an awards and dinner night for its customer and staff. Then the next day, November 2, there will be a special thanksgiving service at the Mary Mother of Good Counsel Catholic Church in Accra.