The Upper West Regional Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has kick-started its awareness creation programme for the Jirapa, Lawra, Nandom and Lambusie schemes in Jirapa and also a prelude to 2025 annual health insurance month celebration which is held nationally in November each year.
The programme was marked by a road show that included activities such as a float, a walk and interaction with clients, potential clients, registration and renewal of members and public education of its products on some of principal streets of Jirapa, the capital of the Jirapa Municipality.
The programme also involved visiting shops, work places and accessible places of residence where officers from all the schemes mentioned carried their awareness and education messages.
Addressing a gathering at the forecourt of the Jirapa Post Office, Upper West Regional NHIS manager, Rashid Tindogo Mohamed was emphatic that it is the mission and vision of the scheme that all residents in the country have access quality health care and that in addition to the traditional registration process some more avenues have been created for self registration, renewal, activation and addition of new members at one’s convenience and at anywhere in Ghana.
He mentioned that members and prospective members can be served by downloading the My NHIS App on Google Store and for those without smart phones can access their services by dialing *929# on any of the mobile telephony networks in Ghana.
On his part, Jirapa Municipal NHIS manager, Dery Francis Xavier says although registration in their catchment area has been encouraging, making it one of the best performing schemes, he and his team are well motivated and are eyeing a 100 percent registration mark and are not oblivious of the work ahead of them encouraging participants of the road show to carry the message to their communities, family and friends, stating that their offices and phone lines are always opened to all who need assistance.
Nandom Municipal NHIS manager, Baghr Francis, revealed that registration is encouraging he was however quick to add that avoidable hospital attendance such as injuries occuring from road traffic accidents, the abuse of illicit drugs and other avoidable practices not only put a toll on the scheme’s resources but also bring about unnecessary hardships on the communities, families, health facilities not to mention the personal pain and even death that victims have to go through.
He is advocating for people to exercise self discipline, healthy lifestyle and also go for periodic medical checkups.
The event was said to be generally successful amidst the fun, education awareness creation and the peaceful nature it went through.
Personnel of the Ghana Police, Ambulance Service Prions and Immigration were not there only to keep the peace but also take part in the awareness creation exercise.
