Juaboso: The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has inaugurated a new district office in Juaboso, Western North Region, as part of its effort to expand health insurance coverage and enhance service delivery to the citizens. According to Ghana News Agency, Dr. Da-costa Aboagye, Chief Executive Officer of the NHIA, spoke at a durbar of Chiefs and people in Juaboso, highlighting the government's initiative to bring health services closer to the people. Dr. Aboagye emphasized that the establishment of physical offices would aid those who struggle with digital access to sign up or renew their health insurance memberships. He stated, "Our aim is to ensure that no Ghanaian is left behind in accessing quality healthcare…By making services more accessible through district offices, the NHIA hopes to increase coverage under the NHIS, a crucial component of achieving universal healthcare in Ghana." Dr. Aboagye further reported that active members on the National Health Insurance Scheme had grown from 10 millio n in 2015 to 17.8 million as of December 2023. Additionally, he noted that the Authority had cleared its backlog of claims payments up to August 2024. Dr. Aboagye also recounted the challenges faced in 2017 when the NHIA grappled with a debt of 1.2 billion Ghana cedis, equivalent to its annual budget, which impacted timely payments to healthcare facilities and access to care. He proudly announced that the NHIA had made significant progress, disbursing more than GHc800 million cedis in claims in the previous month alone, with over GHc300 million additional payments made in October. The Chief Executive also touched on new initiatives including the E-pharmacy policy to improve prescription management and access to necessary medications, and the recent inclusion of mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety disorder under the NHIS coverage. Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Member of Parliament for Juaboso, encouraged the public to protect and sustain the NHIS, calling it a crucial social intervention. D r. Alex Ampabeng, Deputy Minister of Finance and Juaboso Parliamentary candidate for the New Patriotic Party, highlighted the role of digital tools in enhancing the NHIA registration process. The NHIA has also opened a similar office in Suaman, with plans to extend services to the West Gonja, Kpandai, and Savelugu Districts, further broadening the reach and efficacy of the health insurance scheme in the region.