The Chief Executive of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Victor Asare Bampoe, has challenged authorities in the Jomoro Municipality of the Western Region to increase their membership drive from 49.63 percent of its population covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
The CEO said this challenge to intensify membership mobilization should be everyone’s responsibility and not just that of chiefs, the Member of Parliament, and the Municipal Assembly alone.
Dr. Victor Asare Bampoe made the call when he, in collaboration with the Member of Parliament, Dorcas Affo-Toffey, and the Paramount Chief of the Western Nzema Traditional Council, Awulae Kwasi Amakye III, commissioned the Authority’s new district office in the Jomoro Municipality.
The NHIA’s commitment to expanding health coverage and bringing services closer to communities is evident in the commissioning of the Jomoro District Office.
The priority now is to turn the new infrastructure into measurable improvements in enrolment, service quality, and public confidence.
While acknowledging progress, the CEO urged NHIA staff, traditional authorities, the Municipal Assembly, and community stakeholders to intensify outreach and enrol more residents.
Dr. Bampoe said the facility must serve as a catalyst for expanding healthcare access and protecting families against the financial burden of illness, stressing that its success would be measured not by the structure itself but by the lives it touches.
“The true measure of this investment is the number of lives we reach, the families we protect, and the confidence we restore in the NHIS,” he emphasized.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment, under President John Dramani Mahama, to strengthening healthcare access through improved health financing.
He also urged healthcare providers to stop charging unauthorized fees for services covered under the NHIS, insisting that improvements in claims payments and provider tariffs must translate into better service for members.
The CEO charged staff to uphold professionalism, accountability, and compassion, while making membership education, active renewals, and efficient service delivery priorities.
He also called for regular membership performance reports to strengthen accountability and track progress toward Universal Health Coverage.
The Western Regional Director of the NHIA, Joseph Meneabeh Akpoh, thanked the Member of Parliament for Jomoro, Dorcas Affo-Toffey, traditional authorities, and other stakeholders for their support.
He highlighted staffing and logistical challenges requiring urgent attention to improve field operations and service delivery.
The Member of Parliament for Jomoro, Dorcas Affo-Toffey, who is also the Deputy Minister of Transport, commended the NHIA’s leadership for bringing services closer to her constituents. She encouraged residents to enrol in the NHIS and urged staff to serve with courtesy, efficiency, and professionalism.
The Paramount Chief of the Western Nzema Traditional Council, Awulae Kwasi Amakye III, described the commissioning as a historic milestone.
He urged the traditional leaders to mobilize residents to register with the NHIS and maintain active membership.
The Municipal Chief Executive, Benedict Boadi, said the facility would strengthen public service delivery and support community education on the government’s Free Primary Healthcare initiative.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
