Vice-president John Dramani Mahama has announced that the actuarial studies on how to implement the one-time payment of premium for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) are ready. Government was, therefore, studying the various options presented in the report to ensure the best way of its implementation, saying "the one-time premium payment is feasible". He said the government would definitely implement the onetime payment before its four year mandate in office expires. Mr. Mahama announced this on Sunday at the maiden graduation ceremony of the Community Health Nurses Training School at Tanoso, near Sunyani. The Vice-president said the country had reached a critical stage where quality health care delivery could not be compromised and it was for that reason that the government had put various measures in place to ensure that health delivery was tremendously improved. He, therefore, urged all stakeholders in the health sector to play their roles effectively and efficiently. According to him, the role of Community Health Nurses as primary health delivery personnel was a very important segment of Ghana's health care delivery system. The Vice-president, therefore, tasked them to educate people on the importance of observing good primary health care practices with emphasis on disease prevention. "Render service with a smile. The patients are the reason why you are a nurse. Don't put your domestic stress on them," he said. Mr. Mahama advised Ghanaians to always keep a clean environment, because statistics indicate that over 80 per cent of preventable diseases were contracted from unclean environments. Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, lamented about the high rate of maternal mortality in the region. He said 81 deaths were reported through child-birth related complications in 2008, and 94 in the first half of 2009. According to him, the problem had to do with the inability of expectant mothers to have access to health facilities in time because of transportation difficulties. Mr. Nyamekye-Marfo said to curb this problem in the region, the Ministry of Health had signed a memorandum of understanding with the various transport unions to enable them to convey expectant mothers to the nearest health facilities. The Principal of the School, Josephine Koranteng Asare, said the institute which started enrollment in October 2003 was currently competing neck to neck with the best community health training schools in the country. The Vice-president donated a Nissan Civilian bus to the school. Source: Ghanaian Times