Gomoa Potsin , (C/R), Jan 18, GNA – A six-classroom block and playing equipment estimated at 73,207 dollars provided by the Compassion International Ghana, a non-governmental organization (ngo), has been handed over to the chiefs and people of Gomoa Potsin in the Central Region. The educational facility which comprises a store, an office, library and a modern toilet facility, was started by Ms Terri Sue Harom, a cherished donor to Compassion International in United State of America (USA). As a result, she was honoured by the chiefs and people of Gomoa Potsin at the ceremony, by installing her as Nkosoo-hemaa of the town with the stool name Nana Abena Esuon.. Addressing the gathering , Mr Padmore Baffour Agyapong, Country-Director of Compassion International, said the project was initiated five years ago when, Ms Harom visited the community and realized that there was the need to construct new educational facility for the children. Mr Agyapong said the ngo which has been in existence in Ghana for over nine years aims at nurturing Ghanaian children to grow into responsible adults. According to the Country-Director, the ngo has, in partnership with local churches, given support to over 54,000 children in 205 communities throughout the country.. He said programmes currently being implemented by Compassion are, Child Survival, Child Development through Sponsorship, and Complementary intervention.. Mr Agyapong commended the local branch of the Abundant Life AME Zion Church at Potsin, for partnering with Compassion to relieve 245 of abject poverty due to financial constraints facing their parents. He praised the chiefs and people of Gomoa Potsin for releasing a land for the project, and hoped that they would take good care of the facility to prolong its life span. Ms Harom thanked the people for the honour done her, and pledged to bring more of such assistance to enable more children in the Gomoa Potsin area to enjoy better education. Nana Barima Oduro, Central Regional Manager of the AME Zion Educational Unit, thanked the donors for the facility, and promised that teachers and church leaders would ensure the proper maintenance of the facility. He appealed to parents and guardians in the Gomoa East and West Districts to invest heavily in their children’s education, adding that education was the best legacy parents could bequeath to their children.GNA

Accra, Jan 18, GNA – The Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) has assured its cherished customers and the general public that it has made "good progress with intelligence gathering" concerning a recent incident that occurred at some of its branches. A statement issued by the Management of the bank and copied to the Ghana News Agency, said further arrests have been made of some persons (including customers) suspected to be part of a syndicate. The statement said, by virtue of their roles, or job functions at the bank, some members of staff have also been invited by the Economic and Organized Crime Office to assist in investigations. It observed that “further to our response to the media comments on January 7, captioned “GCB responds to media publication,” we would like to update our numerous customers and the general public that we have made good progress with intelligence gathering.” The statement assured the public that GCB remains vigilant in its monitoring and controls, to ensure the early detection of such fraudulent activities as demonstrated in this case. “We would again like to thank all our whistle-blowers and informants for reporting this incident and for their continued collaboration with the Bank and law enforcement agencies throughout this investigation,” the statement added.GNA

Accra, Jan. 18, GNA - Stakeholders in the health sector, on Friday called for the suspension of the capitation payment method of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), until a proper review has been done to pave way for national implementation.They said the capitation being piloted in the Ashanti Region, has encountered a number of difficulties that go against providers and subscribers.Dr Kwabena Opoku Adusei, President of Ghana Medical Association said the Association is against the form and manner the capitation is being implemented.He asked why the programme, which was initially billed to be piloted for six months in the region, has been extended to two years.The stakeholders meeting was organised by the Ministry of Health to afford participants the opportunity to discuss the implementation of the capitation payment to healthcare service providers under the NHIS.Capitation is the payment system in which all medical experiences are paid in advance to providers to cater for health care services of subscribers under the preferred primary provider system.Dr Opoku Adusei said there is no service fee under the capitation, hence the need to evaluate it in view of the current economic trend.He called for continuous education throughout the country before the capitation is rolled out.Ms Sherry Ayittey, Minister of Health said the introduction of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) as an additional provider payment mechanism of the NHIS in Ashanti Region, had encountered varied reactions from many people and therefore a technical sub-committee was set up to monitor and evaluate the programme.She said after the consultations the capitation would be rolled out nationwide.Ms Ayittey said by 2020, the NHIS is expected to reach everywhere to make it universally accessible to all people, especially the vulnerable in the society.She said apart from exemptions like free maternal and mental health care being catered for under the NHIS, family health comprising counselling and distribution of family health commodities would be introduced to the scheme this year.Mr Sylvester Mensah, Chief Executive Officer of NHIA, said the NHIS is going through difficult times and therefore hailed the meeting as essential to help find ways of sustaining the efficiency of the scheme.He said the tripod of providers and subscribers of the scheme, on which the health insurance hinges on, is fraught with challenges.Mr Mensah said some subscribers and providers are engaging in fraudulent activities and therefore endangering the scheme.He said some subscribers go to providers and collect medication for their relations who are not on the scheme at the expense of the NHIS, while some providers also share list of data on subscribers who visit their facility with other providers, who use the same claims sheets to request for reimbursement from the Authority.Mr Mensah said some providers give more medicine to subscribers than prescribed because they want to sell their medicines.GNA