The Takoradi branch of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) registered 10,000 new subscribers in the last two months, bringing the total active membership of the scheme to 90,000.
Speaking to The Finder in an interview, Charles Osei Amoako Enti, Takoradi District Manager of the scheme, said the figure recorded confirms subscribers’ growing interest in the scheme.
He attributed the overwhelming patronage of the scheme to the impact being made in the health sector, particularly in the Western Region.
According to him, many health facilities in the Western Region, particularly in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Area, continue to record huge numbers in terms of Out-Patient Department (OPD) attendance due to the value subscribers place on the scheme.
"These health facilities have been recording huge numbers in terms of NHIS card use or application by our subscribers. We are motivated by the patronage," he said.
He said another reason for the massive enrolment could be the desire of the people to acquire the new biometric registration cards which has been introduced by the NHIA.
The new system, he said, had been introduced ostensibly to address technical challenges, including duplication of enrolment, poor data integrity and multiple claims submission, which were stumbling blocks in the operations of the scheme.
He said biometric identity cards had already been issued to 9,686 out of the 10,000 newly registered members, with the rest being processed at the time of the interview.
According to the manager of the scheme, out of the figure, 552 were pregnant women, 3,078 were dependents while 266 were aged.
Furthermore, he said, only 673 out of the number were Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) contributors.
He appealed to women not to wait until they become pregnant before knocking on the doors of the scheme, adding that those who also wait until they fall sick before rushing to join the scheme must put a stop to it.
<<Print>>