A coalition of civil society organizations in Ghana says the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has failed to ensure free health care for majority of poor Ghanaians. The coalition which is spearheaded by Oxfam Ghana and ISODEC says the vast majority of the estimated 54 percent of the population registered under the scheme are high-income groups. The coalition is concerned that despite the promise of free health care, government still spends less than 15 percent of its budget on health. Convener of the Ghana Essential Services Platform, Leonard Shang-Quartey, says to guarantee free health care government must scrap the payment of premiums as the basis for NHIS registration. He says the president must take advantage of the ongoing UN General Assembly meeting in New York to demand more commitment from richer countries to support the free health care initiative in Ghana. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom has announced a $5 billion package towards providing free health care for an estimated 10 million people in Ghana, Burundi, Liberia, Malawi, Nepal and Sierra Leone. Listen to the attached audio for excerpts of the Mr. Shang- Quartey's concerns. Source: Joy News/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana