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Dear Mr. President, PETITION FOR THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE CAPITATION POLICY OF THE NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE AUTHORITY (NHIA). Following the introduction of the capitation policy in the Ashanti Region by the NHIA, from the beginning of January 2012, the people of the region observed that the policy was detrimental to the health standards of the people. ADU has made a press release, held a press conference, met the authority and even demonstrated against the policy to provide a voice for the people, but authority has remained adamant Today, ADU has again embarked on this demonstration against the capitation as a result of the following: 1. The capitation has caused a lot of confusion and chaos in the health delivery system in the region. Patients are traumatised as there is no clear understanding of the policy. The people no longer visit the hospitals. 2. Hospital attendance has gone down more than 50% since the introduction of the policy because among others people no longer have confidence in the health system. 3. The region is presently practising Cash and Carry system at private facilities and Co-payment at government and other facilities. This is a betrayal of the trust of the people. 4. Private providers who constitute about 56% of providers in the region have withdrawn from the national health insurance Scheme because capitation in its present form will compromise their practice. 5. Health service is no longer affordable neither is it accessible in the region. 6. Renewal figures presently show a decline of almost 90%. This is a clear indication of a lack of confidence in the scheme 7. Maternal mortality is on the ascendancy. Figures will soon indicate that infant mortality is going up as well. Ghana risk eroding the gains it has made over the years in health delivery if the policy is allowed to continue. In fact is has the tendency to affect the life expectancy level of the whole country. The President must act now. 8. By forcing g the people to accept capitation, the authority is infringing on the foundermental human rights of the people of the region. Mr. President is this the promise of a better Ghana that you made to the people? In those days when civilisation hit us in the face, they lord it over us, now our own people also lords it over us, forcing us to accept policies we do not want to. They infringe on our founder mental human rights, our own people that we trusted, indeed my President this is a breach of faith and breach of trust. By capitation you have betrayed us. When we demonstrated against the policy for the first time, the response we got was that NDC party executives such as Asiedu Nketia, Anita Disoso and Ama Benniwa Doh (Central Regional Minister) and others were sent to insult us. Moving from one radio station to the other they insulted the people under the guise of providing education on capitation; since when did NDC party executives become employees of the NHIA. This smacks a high degree of incompetence on the NHIA.M Mr. President we demand a better accountability of your stewardship. Capitation has brought about deaths and untold hardships, it is to mark sign of broken promises. Of a people abused and taken for granted. This cannot be accepted. We call on you to prevail upon the NHIA to suspend the policy immediately on the grounds that understanding of the policy is very minimal, education was highly inadequate, stakeholders were not consulted and the sample size too large. It has resulted in trauma, confusion and deaths. The Asante Development Union therefore petitions you that: 1. The capitation policy be immediately suspended for the proper thing to be done. 2. The Chief Executive officer of the NHIA, Mr. Sylvester Mensah be sacked for his poor handling of the crisis that has arisen as a result of the introduction of the capitation policy. 3. Stakeholders should be brought on board for consensus building, proper education done and a smaller sample chosen before the re-introduction of the policy could be considered. Thank you.