The Western Regional Minister, Mr Anthony Evans Amoah, has expressed concern about the poor coverage of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in the region. He said huge investment and extensive sensitization of the Scheme have been done since its inception three years ago but the coverage is still low. Mr Amoah said this in an address read for him at a meeting of stakeholders of the NHIS in Takoradi on Monday. He said 34 per cent of over two million people in the region registered with the scheme as at the end of last year and this is far below expectation considering the benefits clients stand to gain. He said the poor patronage could be due to problems that are hampering the smooth implementation of the scheme in the region. Mr Amoah said there have been allegations of undue delays in the reimbursement of service providers after they had provided services to members of the various schemes. He noted the sustainability of the scheme largely depended on the availability of drugs and other non-drug requirement to constantly provide quality services to clients. Mr Amoah appealed to the various Mutual Health Insurance Schemes and the National Health Insurance Council to expedite action in the reimbursement of Service Providers to ensure the sustainability of the scheme. He said reports indicate people who register with the scheme have to wait for long time before they are issued with identity cards. Mr Amoah said there are also daily reports of nightmares people go through when they visit health facilities. Source: GNA