Twenty-Four accredited healthcare service providers in the Effutu Municipal and the newly created Awutu/Senya District of the Central Region, have signed a special health delivery contract with the management of the Awutu Effutu Senya Mutual Health Insurance Scheme (AESMHIS) at separate ceremonies. Under it, the providers are expected to offer credible and acceptable healthcare service to the clients of the Scheme at all times, in order to promote the rapid growth of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). The service providers include the Effutu Municipal Hospital, Klimovic Memorial Hospital, Otoo Memorial Hospital, Baptist Mission Hospital, the University Clinic, and Bethel Maternity Home/Clinic, all in Winneba. The rest are, Kasoa Health Centre, Justab Clinic, Central Kasoa Clinic, Saint Joes Clinic, Connie’s Maternity Home/Clinic, Holy Family Maternity Home/Clinic, Margo Maternity Home/Clinic, JUCAD Pharmacy, Monta Clinic, and TOPCARE Clinic, all in Kasoa. Others are Andrea Browning Clinic, All Faith Medical Centre, Samuel Okyere Chemical Shop, Adom Arakwa Maternity Home/Clinic and Seviv Chemical Shop. Mrs Georgina Asamoah, Chairperson of the Awutu-Effutu-Senya Mutual Health Insurance Scheme, and Mr Christopher Oddoye, the Scheme Manager, jointly executed the deal with the providers. Dr. G. K. Morrison, a Director of the Ghana Health Services (GHS), responsible for both Effutu Municipal and the Awutu/Senya Administrative Areas, signed for all the state-owned health Centres and Clinics in the two Administrative set ups, while Mr Anthony Obeng, a Hospital Administrator, also endorsed that of the Municipal Hospital at Winneba. Mr Obeng expressed his appreciation to the management of the AESMHIS for the prompt settlement of medical claims submitted to the Scheme by the Municipal Hospital since the scheme took off about three years ago. He expressed the hope that they would maintain the cordial relations between the Hospital and the Scheme. Mr Obeng assured the Board of Directors and the Management of the AESMHIS that the Authorities of the Municipal Hospital “would do all in their power to ensure that workers of the facility put up their best to make the NHIS achieve its objectives”. Medical Directors and Pharmacists of the various health providing facilities in and around Kasoa, which signed similar agreements with the AESMHIS, also expressed their satisfaction with Schemes work. They promised to continue providing quality, honest and transparent service to premium holders of the Scheme to promote the good health of the citizenry and enhance the socio-economic development of the nation. Some of the service providers, particularly the accredited private health facility operators, were, however, not happy with some of the tariffs they have been asked to charge clients, saying, it would affect their operations economically. Mrs Georgina Asamoah, Board Chairperson, said the Board and the Management of the Scheme considered the various service providers as special partners in development and that without them, the entire NHIS concept could not succeed. Mrs Asamoah expressed the hope that the providers would let the spirit of transparency and honesty to be their hallmark, to sustain the trust and confidence the Board and Management had reposed in them. Mr Christopher Oddoye, Scheme Manager, urged the providers to channel their grievances through the management for redress. He said the Management attached great value to the immense contributions they were making towards the Scheme. Source: GNA