[ 2016-07-29 ]

Western Region chiefs want prostate cancer on NHIS list
Paramount chiefs in the Western Region have called
on the authorities of Ghana Health Service (GHS)
and National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), to
include medication for prostate cancer on the list
of the scheme.

This would enable male patients enjoy free
treatment under the scheme because such medicines
are expensive.

They noted that the disease is increasing at an
alarming rate mostly affecting elderly men who
cannot afford to settle their hospital bills
therefore free medication under the National
Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) would be the best
option.

The paramount chiefs made the appeal when Mrs
Edna Gyau Baffour, Acting Regional Director of the
NHIA briefed the House on the NHIS and said breast
and cervical cancer are on the 517 medication list
under the scheme for free treatment excluding
prostate.

He called at the House to introduce herself to the
22 paramount chiefs on assumption of office in the
region.

On the NHIS capitation, Mrs Baffour said the
Ashanti Region was used for the pilot programme
and would be extended to other regions in phases
after the successful implementation of all the
modalities involved.

She enumerated the importance of the capitation
and said it enables patients to attend a
particular hospital for six months for health
personnel to know the history of an ailment and
plan ahead as against the general practice of
allowing changes of hospitals.

Touching on NHIS biometric registration, the
acting Director said the region is widely covered
but is challenged with the difficulty in reaching
villages without network connections as they had
to be transported people to particular centres
before they could register.

Source - GNA

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