The Brong-Ahafo Regional Secretariat of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has since 2008 received GHC 72.4 million from the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) for the payment of claims to service providers in the region. Mr. Eric Opoku, Deputy Regional Minister, who disclosed this appealed to the media, pastors, Muslim leaders and civil society organisations to help educate and restore the confidence and trust of Ghanaians in the scheme to ensure its sustainability. The Deputy Regional Minister was speaking at a durbar in Sunyani on Monday to kick start the mass registration exercise of the scheme in the region. Packages in the one-week exercise included spot registration, instant picture taking and reduction in premium from GHC16 to GHC15 as well as issuance of ID cards in one month instead of the normal three months period. Mr. Opoku stressed the government’s commitment and preparedness to implement the one time payment of premium early next year. He said the scheme was in a better position to provide quality and prompt health delivery to the ordinary Ghanaian and appealed to those who had not registered to do so. Mr. Opoku explained that the NHIS played a very critical role in the attainment of the “Better Ghana Agenda” and that the government was determined to remove all lapses that confronted the scheme to make it function effectively and efficiently.Mr. Opoku admonished managers of the scheme to ensure transparency and accountability in their operations to win the public’s trust and confidence. Mr. Foster Agyei-Korang, Regional Manager of the scheme, said every Ghanaian was qualified to register and gave the assurance that the government was working hard to promote and sustain the scheme. He urged all who had not yet registered as well as those whose membership had expired to take advantage of the mass registration to register and renew their membership. Mr. Agyei-Korang expressed concern about the delay in submission of claims by service providers and urged them to facilitate the submissions in time for payment. “Even though we know that you are confronted with the challenges of staffing, if you are able to submit your claims in time the scheme can also pay you in time”, he added. Mr. Agyei-Korang announced that the NHIA had resolved to pay claims to service providers, particularly regional hospitals every month with other health facilities every two months. The move, the regional manager said, would save the scheme from accumulating debts but added, the rapidity of payments would depend on the fastness at which claims were submitted. Mr. Agyei-Korang advised service providers to submit their claims to the scheme in time to facilitate the process of payment.Source: GNA