The Central Regional Minister, Nana Ato Arthur has advised health insurance workers in the Region to consider the National Health Insurance Scheme as their own enterprise and work assiduously to achieve the ultimate goal set for it.
To accomplish this objective, he urged the employees of the Scheme to always strive to use dialogue to iron out their grievances, so as to sustain and improve upon the gains the system has chalked within the short period that the policy has being in the existence.
Nana Arthur was addressing the scheme managers, accountants, management information systems and public relation officers of the 13 Municipals and Districts Mutual Health Insurance Schemes operating in the Region, at Cape Coast.
The meeting was called to discuss matters connected with the smooth and effective implementation of the new health delivery policy, as well as recently-introduced free antenatal and post-natal health care for pregnant women throughout the country.
Nana Ato Arthur said that the government attached great importance to the operations of the Schemes, because of the crucial role they play in the fulfilment of health requirement of the people, especially the poor in the society.
It was for this reason that the government wanted workers of the various state establishments, organizations, departments and institutions to always rely on dialogue, in resolving misunderstanding between the workforces and the managements, in order to avoid industrial actions, which were detrimental to national growth and development.
The Regional Minister said his administration had acknowledged the good work put up by some of the Mutual Health Insurance Schemes in the region, and advised them to guard against complacency, to enable them to advance the course of the NHIS successfully, for others to emulate.
Nana Ato Arthur also discussed with participants matters concerning the general wellbeing of NHIS workers in the Region and assured them that he would personally forward concerns to the appropriate authorities for redress.
He said the Regional Administration regarded workers of the Scheme as partners in development, saying that both municipal and district administrations in the Region were equally prepared to co-operate with scheme managers and Board of Directors in the Region to accelerate the implementation of the policy at all levels.
He expressed the hope that the frontline workers of the Scheme would reciprocate this laudable gesture and be equally cooperative with the Regional Minister and their respective municipal and district chief executives for the smooth running of the Scheme.
Nana Ato Arthur also expressed his appreciation to the Central Regional Manager of the Scheme and district line officers for honouring his invitation, which was communicated to them at a short notice, adding that "this clearly demonstrated your dedication and commitment to all this national assignment design to build healthier and prosperous nation".