High poverty in Bongo District affects NHIS registration
A research conducted by the Legal Resource Centre (LRC) in some communities in the Bongo District and the West Mamprusi District in the Northern Region had revealed that high poverty rate in the area accounted for people’s inability to register and renew the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) membership.
The research, which was conducted in the first quarter of 2013 with funding from STAR-Ghana, cited the six communities where the research was carried out as ithe Akunduo, Soe-Kabre and Adaboya in the Bongo District and Gbimsi, Sayoo and Kunkua in the West Mamprusi District..
The Programme Officer of the LRC, Mr Samson Akabawari Akanpigbiam, made the research findings known at stakeholders’ meeting on “the measures to ensure affordable Premium for Rural and the Informal Sector Population in the Bongo District.”
He said another hindrance that rendered the people unable to register with the scheme was the perception raised by them that the premiums being charged by the NHIS was too high.
Mr Akanpigbiam said it was against this backdrop that the LRC with support from STAR-Ghana is implementing a “Right to Health” project with the objective of increasing the uptake of rural and informal sector populations unto the NHIS in the six communities.
He said it was based on the research findings that informed the LRC to hold the stakeholders meeting on how to ensure affordable premium for the selected communities.
This year the World Bank supported some communities in the area to register for the NHIS due the poverty level and that this cannot be sustained.
The stakeholders particularly the traditional rulers also proposed that the premium of the NHIS be reviewed downwards from 8 Ghana cedis to 5 Ghana cedis, adding that apart from the 8 Ghana cedis they pay, they still pay for administrative cost of 4 Ghana cedis making it 12 Ghana cedis.
They suggested that a health fund could be established in the District and this could be done during festival periods where people are made to contribute to the fund to take care of the most vulnerable.
The stakeholders whilst commending the World Bank for paying for some venerable people in the communities appealed to them to continue the support.
They appealed to Members of Parliament in the area to set aside 1 per cent of their Common Fund to cater for the most needy to pay for the NHIS premium and in addition proposed that communities contribute yearly in the form of food items and animals so that they could be sold for the proceeds to be used to cater for the needy.
They stressed the need for the District Assembly to help revamp the local industries such as the basket weaving and smock, sheanut processing and among others to help the people improve upon their livelihoods to pay for the premium of the NHIS.
Source: GNA