Bongo DMHIS exceeds registration target(Daily Graphic, Monday, February 4, 2008 P. 34)

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bongo.
THE Bongo District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme in the Upper East Region has exceeded its projected target of registration by 13.05 per cent for last year.
The scheme registered a total number of 43,497 people representing 53.05 per cent of the district’s population. Speaking to,
The Scheme Manager, Mr. Clement Agana Ayamga made this known to the Daily Graphic at Bongo.
He stated that in spite of the numerous challenges facing the operation of the scheme in the district, his outfit was working hard to attain at least a 95 per cent coverage within the next few years.
Mr. Ayamga mentioned some of the challenges facing the scheme in the district as the high poverty level of the people, politicization, and negative cultural practices.
Recounting how the scheme started in October 2004, Mr. Ayamga said the concept took a long time to go down with the people.
“Initially, response to registration was very frustrating, however with intensive public education, total staff commitment and support from collaborators like the District Assembly, DANIDA, the Legal Resource Centre and the National Health Insurance Authority, the story is different today”, he intimated.
According to Mr. Ayamga so far the scheme has expended a total amount of GH c 152, 344.41 (c 1.523, 444, 134.10) on hospital bills for 22,619 clients. In addition a total of GH c 535,412.57 have been mobilized since the inception of the scheme.
He decried some negative practices by some indigenous opinion leaders in the district such whipping up ethnic sentiments and spreading false information about the scheme and cautioned against such attitude.
Mr. Ayamga also bemoaned the attitude of some clients who he alleged were abusing the system by going to the health facilities to feign illness and take drugs for their sick relatives and friends and said such practices stood to weaken the scheme.
“In fact if such practices are not stopped it would have an adverse effect on every single person in the district”, he added.
The Scheme Manager, commended the District Assembly and its Chief Executive, Mr. Francis Asampana as well as the Paramount Chief of the area, Naba Baba Salifu Aleemyaarum for their immense support for the schme in the district.
He disclosed that the under the auspices of Naba Aleemyaarum, and the DCE, a special health fund has been set up and appealed to all sons and daughters of Bongo as well as well-wishers to contribute to the fund to enable the very poor benefit from afforded but quality health care delivery.
He said the management of the scheme has projected 70 per cent coverage of the district population and mobilize GH c1.1 million.
He added that the management will embark on a massive outreach programme including community durbars to whip up interest in the programme.