NHIA secretariat gets own office complex in Kumasi

The Ashanti Regional Secretariat of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has inaugurated a new GH¢700,000 one-storey office complex at Adum in Kumasi.

The new facility has a 55 seater conference room, an IT unit, 11 offices, washrooms and other facilities.

The project, funded by the government, is to house the staff and management of the regional secretariat.

Until the construction of the office complex, the regional office of the scheme operated from rented facilities.

During that period, the scheme was not only paying huge bills as rent but the secretariat also had a problem of congestion due to lack of space to accommodate all the staff.

The Kumasi facility brings to eight the number of regions with their own offices.  Tamale and Cape Coast are the only secretariat without their own office complex.

Inaugurating the facility, the Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Yaw Adusei, said the scheme, introduced 10 years ago, had undergone many changes and urged the staff and management to continue to be dedicated and committed to enhancing their operations.

He said the scheme had so far done well in all areas of its operations and commended the staff for the successes chalked up so far.

The deputy regional minister urged the staff and management of the scheme to take good care of the facility to enable it last long and pledged the Regional Coordinating Council’s support for all their endeavours.

Mr Winfred Agbegivor, Corporate Affairs Director of the Authority, who represented the Chief Executive Officer, said since one of the major challenges confronting the scheme was identity card registration, a biometric registration pilot scheme began in the Greater Accra Region in June this year and it would be replicated in the other regions after a successful trial.

He challenged the staff of the scheme to redouble their efforts in their day-to-day operations to enhance the development of the scheme to improve healthcare service delivery in the country.

The corporate affairs director said with the pragmatic and prudent measures put in place by the management of the authority, enrolment and other operations of the scheme kept improving. He, therefore, urged members of the public to support and have confidence in their operations.

Mr Bawa Nurudeen, the Acting Ashanti Regional Manager of the scheme, said the provision of the new office would provide a very conducive environment for their operations.

He pledged on behalf of the staff and management of the scheme to continue working very hard to improve upon their operations in the region.

The acting regional manager pledged to take good care of the facility to serve its rightful purpose.

Mr Nurudeen commended the Asantehene for providing land for the project for the benefit of the people in the region.

The Otumfuo’s Manwerehene, Baffour Osei Hyeaman Brantuo, who represented the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei-Tutu ll, challenged the staff of the scheme to be more dedicated and committed to their operations for the benefit of the people.

By Felix A. Baidoo, Kumasi
Daily Graphic/ Graphic.com.gh/Ghana