The Parliamentary Select Committee on Government Assurance on Wednesday, the 4th of November, 2009 visited the West Mamprusi District. The committee interacted with Heads of Departments at the District Assembly. The nine (9) member committee led by Hon. Jonathan Tackie-komme, MP for Odododiodio and vice chairman of the committee explained the rationale for the visit. He said their mandate among other things is to find out whether projects and policies assumed to have been implemented at national, regional and district levels are actually implemented. According to him, they are particularly interested in the Health Exemption Policy regarding pregnant women, children and the aged.
The other members of the committee included Stephen Yakubu MP, Emmanuel Kwesi Bedzrah MP for Ho West, Herod Cobbina MP for Sefwi-Akontombra, Nana Abu-Bonsra MP for Fomena, Anthony Christian Dadzie MP for Abura Asebu Kwamankese, Amadu Sorogho MP for Madina, Ibrahim Gariba-Office of parliament ad Adam Fusheini-office of parliament.
The committee was interested in knowing whether pregnant women, under-five children and the aged in the District are accessing health care free of charge. The District Public Health Nurse Faustina Dery outlined the genesis of the implementation of the exemption policy in the District. According to her, from 2002 to 2003, a number of people were abusing the exempt for the aged. People who were not up to sixty (60) years were reporting their ages over sixty (60) years in order to qualify for the exempt for the aged. By 2005, the District reduced the exempt group to only pregnant women and children less than five years. This continued until the National Health Insurance Scheme came into operation. She decried the spate of maternal deaths in the District and said, the
Madam Faustina called on Government to implement under the NHIS six (6) months free health care for nursing mothers. According to her, this will go a long way to reduce post partum deaths.
The committee members asked several questions and challenged members of the communities to take up maternal health education seriously. They also urged people to desist from abusing the National Health Insurance Scheme.
The committee later visited a community called Loagri to interact directly with the women and children in the community.
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