Boards of Directors of Mutual Health Insurance Schemes have been asked to ensure transparency, accountability and good corporate governance in directing the affairs of the schemes. The District Chief Executive for Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa, Emmanuel Adjei Domson who made the call also charged the Board of Directors not to interfere in the day-to-day activities of the management but concentrate on their supervisory and advisory roles. He was speaking at the third Annual General Meeting of the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme at Breman Asikuma in the Central region.

Mr. Adjei Domson said as Directors of the various schemes they should equip themselves with the Act that established the National Health Insurance Scheme so that they can operate within set limits. He charged the management to be prudent in the management of resources available to them. Mr. Adjei Domson told the Board, Management and Collectors that they are implementers of the National Health Insurance Scheme; they should therefore ensure that they do nothing that would negatively affect the scheme.

The Central Regional Manager of the National Health Insurance Authority, Emmanuel Kwabena Badu said the worst thing that can happen to the country is the collapse of the National Health Insurance Scheme and for Ghanaians to go back to the cash and carry system. It is therefore imperative that the mangers of the mutual schemes work in line with approved guidelines to ensure the sustainability of the mutual schemes in particular and the Authority in general.

Mr Badu said about 631 thousand 359 people in the Central region representing 37 percent of the regional population have registered for the schemes. He said a total of six million, 987 thousand 712 Ghana Cedis have been paid to health facilities in the region so far. The Chairman of the Board of Directors, Rev. Patrick Nyampong said the scheme would soon move into its newly constructed office complex to work in a more spacious environment.

He said the total membership of the scheme as at the end of last year stood at 51 thousand 677. Rev. Nyampong said a total bill of 607 thousand 360 Ghana Cedis was submitted in respect of 44 thousand clients who accessed health care services in the district last year but upon careful study and vetting, the amount was pruned down to 491 thousand 408 Ghana Cedis that was paid.

The Board Chairman expressed concern about the non-payment of bills paid on behalf of other schemes whose members access health care in their district. The Scheme Manager, Eric Owusu Appiah said the scheme pays seven thousand Ghana Cedis a month to some health facilities making the Asikuma Odoben Brakwa Scheme one of the best schemes in the Central region. He commended the MP for the area PC Appiah Ofori for donating cement towards the office project.

Reported By: Philip Baidoo - GBC Correspondent, Central Region