Individual health insurance schemes to convert to national scheme
Deprived Districts to have upgraded health facilities
Debate on Criminal Libel law begins this week
Need to streamline SHEP to ensure total
coverage
Accra (Greater Accra) 16 July 2001
Dr Richard Anane, Minister of Health on Friday said some of the individual health insurance schemes would be converted into the Government's' proposed National Health Insurance Scheme when it becomes operational.
He said the Ministry would therefore, assists communities in all constituencies, which want to get, involved in the various community health insurance schemes.
Dr Anane said this in an answer to a question in Parliament asked by Mr Bernard Akugri Achidago, NDC- Binduri as to when the proposed Health Insurance system which would replace the cash and carry system would become operational in the Binduri constituency for the benefit of the subsistence farmers in the area.
The Minister said a sensitisation programme of the public is going on in the Upper East Region to organise the people into the health-care pre-payment schemes
Dr. Anane explained that the pre-payment scheme is a form of "susu" where the people would be expected to contribute their quota though the response is not the same throughout the country because of the differences in poverty level of the people.
When Mr. Achidago asked the time frame and take off period of the scheme, the Minister said the programme was quite advanced and it was the commitment of the government to execute the scheme before the end of the term of Parliament.
Mr. Kosi Kedem, NDC- Hohoe South asked whether the Ministry of Health was ready to give technical assistance and the matching funds to interested communities who want to join the health insurance scheme.
Dr. Anane said the ministry was prepared to solicit for support to interested communities since the government was committed to ensuring the success of the scheme.
Mr. Enoch Teye Mensah, NDC, Ningo/Prampram, asked how the insurance scheme was going to address the poverty of the people and assist them with their contributions.
Dr. Anane said the government believes in each one being his brothers keeper and would assist the poor not only through the "susu" system, but it would soon come out with a policy to support the vulnerable in society.
GRi../
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Accra (Greater Accra) 16 July 2001
The Minister of Health, Dr. Richard Anane on Friday said measures have been put in place to ensure that deprived districts have upgraded health facilities.
He said, as a result of this measure, the Zabzugu Clinic in the Northern Region would soon be upgraded to a District hospital since it is on the priority list of the Ministry.
Dr. Anane was answering a question in Parliament when Mr. Mohammed Jagri, NDC- Zabzugu/Tatale asked the Minister what steps were been taken to upgrade the Zabzugu Clinic to a District Hospital.
He explained that in 1995, an independent consultant was commissioned to appraise the state of health infrastructure in all districts and the Zabzugu clinic occupies the tenth position for development to hospital status.
Dr. Anane said the development of these health facilities is been done in phases in view of economic constraint while provision of staff accommodation is been considered in the next phase.
He said other clinics within the Zabzugu/Tatale district have also been upgraded into health centres with assistance from the government and donor support. These include Tatale, Kandim and Kpalbutabu.
Alhaji Mohammed Seidu Abah, NDC- Chereponi asked the Minister when the Wenchiki Clinic project funded by the Saudi Fund for Development and the Government would be completed.
Dr. Anane said the construction of the Wenchiki Health Centre commenced in 1994 however the contractor, Hem Limited of Tamale abandoned the project in 1997.
He said the ministry has prevailed upon the consultant to ensure that the project is completed without further delay and it is envisaged that the remaining works would be completed by the end of the year.
Alhaji Abah asked the minister whether he was aware that current building housing the health workers was a death trap and may cause havoc any time there was a storm.
Dr. Anane said the ministry was seeking assistance to put up permanent buildings to house the health workers to replace the temporary structures at the clinic.
GRi../
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Accra (Greater Accra) 16 July 2001
The Criminal Code Amendment Bill will be read for a second time, in Parliament on Tuesday this week when debate on the subject will ensue.
The highlights of the Bill are the repeal of the criminal libel and seditious law.
Mr. J.H. Mensah, Majority Leader announced this when presenting the Business Statement for the eleventh week.
He said, "judging from the expression of interest by the general public and the concerns so far raised about the Bill, the Committee has decided to allow some time for exhaustive debate".
During the week, the Ministers of Education, Agriculture, Roads and Highways, Energy, Local Government and Rural Development, Youth and Sports and the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice would appear before the House to answer questions.
Later, a report of the Committee of the Whole on the proposed Formula for sharing of the District Assemblies Common Fund for the year 2001 and a development credit agreement between the government and the International
Development Association for an amount of 220 million dollars for the Road Sector
development programme were laid.
GRi…/
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Need to streamline SHEP to ensure total
coverage
Nantom (Northern Region) 16 July 2001
Parliamentary committee on Mines and Energy at the weekend said the third phase of Self Help Electrification Project (SHEP III) would have to be streamlined to ensure that all communities earmarked to benefit do.
Mr Alex B. Boadi-Mensah, Chairman of the Committee said most of the communities have become apprehensive about the project because it does not seem to follow any laid down procedure.
He made the remarks when the committee met the people of Zieng, Nantom and Tampion during a tour the Savelugu District in the Northern Region.
The tour was to enable Parliament to evaluate at first hand reports of bottlenecks in the implementation of SHEP III.
Alhaji Iddrisu Abdul-Kadia, a spokesman for the Zieng community said the contractors working on the project have abandoned it after stringing few poles with wires, thus making it possible for thieves to steal the stretch between Zieng and Nantom.
Alhaji Alhassan Yakubu, MP for Nantom appealed to the people to learn from the cordial relations that exist among the MPs and avoid antagonistic partisan politics that does not augur well for peace.
GRi../
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