A Bishop of the Anglican diocese in Sekondi, Alexander Kwabena Asthma, has called on the government to make National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) accessible to all health facilities in rural areas.
He observed that the rural areas are mostly inhabited by persons who are not financially stable, a situation which according to him inhibits the effective delivery of health care services to customers.
“A customer may not want to pay [for a particular product or service] and we have to go and buy at cash-and-carry to serve for the mean time until the health insurance scheme is extended to us [the health facility]” he said, highlighting the significant role the insurance would play.
Bishop Alexander Asthma made the call when the Anglican diocese commissioned an episcopal clinic at Tikobo No. 2 in the Sekondi metropolis.
According to him, the facility and all its needed equipment, have been made available, but the only challenge is the accessibility of health insurance, therefore it would be expedient that the Ministry of Health and the government consider extending it to them.
“The government should help us so we can extend helping hand to the community as well, because the situation here is very difficult. If they are able to facilitate the inclusion of the facility on the scheme, and it is implemented, I think it would be worthy of praise to both the government and the Ministry of Health.”
The Christian sect leader noted that the provision of the health facility was part of the church’s social intervention to support the society which in the long run impacts the spiritual lives of the people.
“it is the responsibility of the Christian to undertake social interventions, but this is not just social intervention; it is both social and spiritual. At the end of the day, it will have a moral effect on the person’s life among other effects,” said the Bishop.
The chief of Tikobo no. 2 Nana Avo Nweah V noted that the area, being the third populated town in the Jomoro municipality is much grateful to the church.
According to him, the facility will help the community and its adjoining communities because it would reduce the pressure on other health facilities and lessen their wearisome long travels to seek medical attention.
“There are lots of villages under Etikobo no 2. There are some who it takes two to three hours for to come here to access health service, which is a problem.”
He has however appealed for the provision of motorbikes so that occasionally, health service providers can go on outreach programmes to attend to people living in hard-to-reach communities due to poor road networks.
