SLOW IMPLEMENTATION OF NHIS WORRIES TALENSI-NABDAM RESIDENTS (PAGE 21)

PARTICIPANTS at the People's Assembly forum held at Tongo, the district capital for the Talensi-Nabdam District Assembly in the Upper East Region, have expressed concern about the long delay in the establishment of a National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in the district.
They explained that due to the non-operation of the scheme in the area, people in the district, which was carved out of the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly nearly four years ago had to go through difficulties to access health care delivery.
They, therefore, appealed to the authorities to fast track the implementation of the scheme in the area.
The NHIS is currently not operational in the Talensi-Nabdam and Garu-Tempane districts of the Upper East Region.
For that reason, citizens from those areas seeking health care have to subscribe to the scheme in the Bolgatanga or the Bawku municipalities.
Responding to the concerns, the Talensi-Nabdam District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Anaba Nabila, said all was set for the operation of the scheme in the district.
According to him, the assembly had already submitted the necessary requirements for the scheme to be taken to the National Health Insurance Authority, adding “we are patiently waiting for the response and the logistics from the authority to kick-start the scheme in the district”.
Giving an overview of the assembly’s performance over the past year, Mr Nabila said the district had witnessed positive change in terms of development.
He said a total of 262.2 kilometres of roads had either been re-gravelled, graded or upgraded in the district within the last year
The development of the roads, Mr Nabila stated, had provided farmers easy access to their farms and to marketing centres.
On education, Mr Nabila said last year, the assembly spent a total of GH¢55,731.02 to sponsor 233 students in Teacher Training Colleges, Nurses’ Training Colleges, as well as in second cycle and tertiary educational institutions.
He said some of the sponsored students were persons with disabilities.
According to him, three communities, Pelungu, Duusi and Sakoti were currently being connected to the national electricity grid under the Self-Help Electrification Project.
He added that another batch of five communities, namely Nangodi, Sheaga-Tindongo, Winkongo/Awaredonne, Tongo and Zanlerigu would soon be hooked on to the national grid.
Mr Nabila said, of the 287 people employed under the National Youth Employment Programme, 130 were with the community teaching assistant module, 71 as auxiliary health nurses, 36 in the sanitation module, 20 in agriculture and 30 were engaged in the community policing unit.
The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Alhassan Samari, seized the opportunity to explain government policies and programmes carried out in the region over the past seven years, and urged the people to renew the mandate of the government in order to continue its good work.
The Deputy Minister of Women’s and Children Affairs, Mr Daniel Dugan, highlighted a number of negative cultural practices that hampered the growth and development of women and children.
He cited female genital mutilation (FGM), rape, widowhood rites, wife bashing and child labour as some of the practices that must not be encouraged.