The Chief Executive of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Victor Asare Bampoe, has urged young people to embrace the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) as an important safeguard for their health and future.
Dr. Bampoe made the call when he addressed students at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) as guest speaker at a conference themed “Developing Competent Leaders for a Changing World.” The event also marked the rollout of the NHIS Campus Connect initiative on the UEW campus.
In his keynote address, Dr. Bampoe reminded students that the NHIS was created to ensure that Ghanaians are not denied healthcare because of financial difficulty.
“The National Health Insurance Scheme was created with a very simple but powerful vision: no Ghanaian should be denied healthcare because they cannot afford it,” he said.
He explained that the Campus Connect programme is part of a broader effort by the NHIA to take health insurance education and services directly to young people.
“Healthcare information and services should not wait for young people to come looking for them,” Dr. Bampoe said. “We must go where they are to the campuses and engage them directly.”
The initiative was welcomed by the leadership of the UEW Student Representative Council (SRC). SRC President Ebenezer Annobil encouraged students to take advantage of the opportunity to learn more about the Scheme.
“I encourage you to listen attentively, engage boldly, and take seriously the lessons that will emerge,” Annobil said.
Beyond the conference, the NHIS Campus Connect team, working with the Central Regional Office, has established four service centres across the UEW campus.
The centres are currently registering new members, renewing expired memberships, and providing information on the benefits of the NHIS.
The week-long exercise is aimed at making NHIS services more accessible to students who may find it difficult to visit district offices during regular academic hours.
The engagement brought together senior officials of the NHIA, including Oswald Essuah-Mensah, Director of Corporate Affairs; Faustina Dery, Head of Communications; Angela Asiedu, Esq., Deputy Director for Marketing and Branding; and Nina Amoah Buabeng, Executive Secretary to the CEO.
Regional leadership was also represented by Central Regional Director Kojo Koi Sekyere Thompson and Abena Esia-Donkoh, Head of the Cape Coast Claims Processing Centre.
Support staff from the Agona, Awutu Senya East, Gomoa, and Awutu Effutu Senya districts are assisting with the ongoing registration and outreach activities.
The Campus Connect programme will continue throughout the week with student engagements and on-campus service delivery.
