SEND-Ghana as part of efforts to breaching the inequities in health service delivery has engaged with NHIS and the department of social welfare in the Gushegu Municipality on the registration of indigents under the NHIS.
This is part of a five-year project -the People for Health (P4H) project, funded by the United State Agency for International Department (USAID) and implemented by various organizations including SEND-Ghana and PENPLUSBYTE for People with Disability (PWDs).
It is operating on five key thematic areas which include maternal and child health, family planning, nutrition, malaria, HIV/AIDS as well as water and sanitation. The program was attended by officials of the NHIS, department of social welfare, women groups and assembly members.
Topics discussed at the event include current methods being used to identify indigents, challenges associated with identifying indigents and measures to address existing challenges among others.
Speaking to Zaa news, Project Coordinator of SEND-Ghana, Mr. Richard Bekieriya noted that the purpose of the engagement is to improve collaboration between the NHIS and department of social welfare in the efforts to register the poor and vulnerable in society. It is also to come out with ways and strategies to identify poor and vulnerable people especially those who are not LEAP beneficiaries, to be registered as indigents.
Mr Bekieriya said the project is implemented in twenty districts across four regions in the country namely Volta, Greater Accra, Eastern and Northern regions, with Gushegu as one of the implementing districts. He said it is important that PWDs benefit from the policy by having the NHIS cards for their health and other benefits from LEAP.
The municipal director of the department of social welfare, Mr. Iddrisu Ibrahim attributed political interference, dominance of an ethnic group, interference in office work by the natives of the locality as some of the challenges hampering the registration of indigents on the National Health Insurance Scheme and appealed to politicians and opinion leaders to come to their aid.
The Gushegu NHIS Public Relations Officer, Mr. Medzida Micah says the unit is resource-challenged and appealed to government to reduce the stress they go through in performing their duties. He also advised the general public especially pregnant women to get registered.
BY: LILIAN D. WALTER
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