WR NHIA solicits blood for Appiatse explosion victims

The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has added the bill of diagnosis and treatment of four childhood cancers onto the scheme’s benefits regime.

A specialist anti-breast cancer drug, called Herceptin has also been added to the National Health Insurance Scheme medicines list, making Ghana the first country in the Sub-Saharan African Region to achieve that feat.

Mrs Yaa Pokuaa Baiden, the Deputy Chief Executive, in charge of administration and Human Resources of the NHIA said this during a blood donation exercise by the Authority in support of the various blood banks in the Western Region that needed such essentials to save victims of the January 20th Appiatse tragedy.

She said the Authority was desirous in capturing a large majority of the population onto the scheme adding, “We recognize the importance of providing an extensive array of health care services to members.”

The Deputy Chief Executive said childhood cancers comprising acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, Burkitt lymphoma, retinoblastoma, and Wilms tumour have become the burden of the Authority, thus, giving affected parents some financial relief.

The officer said new blood donors from all backgrounds were needed to ensure there was enough blood available for patients.

The NHIA, according to her, had also grown to become a shining model of social insurance in Africa and beyond but was however quick to add that lots more needed to be done to enable Ghana to attain the Universal Health Coverage in 2030.

Madam Esther Samira Awudu-Issaka, the Western Regional Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Health Service who represented the Regional Health Director noted how the blood had become a scarce commodity due to the level of injuries among affected Appiatse victims and the need for society to support in that direction.

She said the exercise was targeted to collect about one hundred units of blood which would be distributed to the various health facilities in the Region.