Builsa District NHIS intensifies free registration, renewal exercise at Sandema Market

The Builsa District Office of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), led by the District Manager, Sunday Donaldson Akpitipolah, together with officials from the Regional Directorate and district staff, has intensified public sensitisation efforts through a major outreach exercise at the Sandema Market aimed at boosting participation in the ongoing free NHIS registration and membership renewal campaign.

The initiative forms part of the NHIS nationwide free registration and renewal waiver exercise currently underway across the country. The campaign, which commenced on April 15, is expected to end on May 31.

As part of the exercise on Thursday, May 21, NHIS officials engaged traders, residents, and market women at the Sandema Market on the importance of maintaining active NHIS membership to ensure uninterrupted access to healthcare services. Expired NHIS cards were renewed instantly, while eligible residents were also registered onto the scheme.

The exercise began with a float through the principal streets of Sandema and climaxed at the main lorry station after officials toured major commercial centres within the township. Temporary registration centres were mounted at the market to provide convenient on-the-spot registration and renewal services.

Speaking during the outreach, Sunday Donaldson Akpitipolah described the initiative as “Operation Storm the Markets,” an intervention aimed at expanding health insurance coverage across the Builsa North and Builsa South areas.

According to him, the district is targeting the registration of more than 6,550 people through the short-term campaign as part of efforts to achieve its mid-year target of 41,448 active members and a May target of 34,540 members, while pushing coverage to 80 percent.

“Currently, about 79 percent of the population has active NHIS membership, and we are hopeful this exercise will help bridge the remaining gap before the end of the month,” he stated.

Akpitipolah explained that officials are undertaking extensive field operations and community outreach activities to ensure residents fully benefit from the campaign before the May 31 deadline.

He noted that although the free registration and renewal campaign will end at the close of May, informal sector workers who are financially capable would be required to pay their regular premiums after the exercise to either register or renew their cards.

He, however, stressed that vulnerable groups, including school children, pregnant women, indigent persons, and individuals identified by chiefs and queen mothers as unable to support themselves financially, would continue to enjoy free NHIS registration.

Also speaking at the event, the Deputy Director for Membership and Regional Operations, Blandina Martin Awiah Norman, said the free registration initiative was launched on April 15 by President John Mahama as part of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government’s commitment to delivering free primary healthcare for Ghanaians.

She explained that the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service, is implementing the initiative to increase enrolment onto the health insurance scheme nationwide.

According to her, primary healthcare includes both preventive and curative services, but patients requiring advanced medical attention within the healthcare system would need valid NHIS membership.

“This is why updating members’ information and registering new members remain very critical. We want to remove every barrier to healthcare access,” she said.

Norman further disclosed that the NHIA is targeting 80 percent national population coverage this year as part of efforts toward achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

She added that to ensure the success of the free healthcare policy at the grassroots level, the authority is undertaking free new registrations, renewals of expired cards, and replacement of lost cards to prevent any Ghanaian from being denied healthcare due to lack of insurance coverage.

Mike 105.3FM I Navrongo | Edmond Kwaching Agwaazeh

Maseda Spices