The Nkwanta District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme has been plagued by abuses resulting in patient's seeking double healthcare delivery. The situation was increasing the cost of treatment per patient, Mr Joseph Booker Denteh, District Chief Executive (DCE) of Nkwanta told a General Assembly meeting. He said the emerging phenomenon was swelling treatment cost and subjecting the Scheme to disarray. The DCE said in 2006, total attendance at health facilities was 18,346 with the average cost of treatment per patient at the hospital standing at GH 11.00 and that of health centers being four GH4.00. He said the heavy attendance being recorded at the district's two major health facilities - Nkwanta District and the Saint Joseph's Catholic hospitals - for minor ailments, which could have effectively been handled at other health centres including the Community-based Health Planning Schemes (CHPS), militated against the smooth operation of the Scheme in the district. Mr Denteh said despite these floundering mishaps, the Scheme recorded 7,571 attendances for which it paid a sum of GH 72,751 to service providers and registered 133 surgical operations at a cost of GH 33,225 as at May, this year. He said 36,300 people were registered since the inception of the Scheme with 24,098 being card bearers. The DCE said GHC141,740 was received as government subsidy; GH(32,498 was received as premium in the 2006 financial year. Source: GNA