By Jainaba Kargbo
The Gambia Government with funding from the World Bank, recently commenced a National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) membership registration and Civil Registration and Vital Statistic (CRVS). The goal is to achieve universal coverage of electronic Birth Registration and Health Insurance Enrolment for all citizens and residents in The Gambia.
The Mass Registration, demonstration which commenced on Tuesday, 2nd August 2022 in the Greater Banjul Area (Bakoteh) it gradually roll-out to other areas.
Addressing the gathering, Mr Lamin Fatty, Registrar at the Ministry of Health described the exercise as important in the life history of The Gambia by graduating from manual format to digital format of registration.
With technology advancement, he said, it will help to address multiple problems and thus has many benefits for both the government and applicants as all the vital events will be captured and stored for reference purposes.
“To be registered, one has to fill the legal identity,” he noted and added that this digital registration will enhance the system to create a permanent, continuous, and confidential record of an individual this will give them rights for identity and create an atmosphere that no one is left behind” He noted.
Requirements for the registration, he outlined, includes a national identity card, a birth certificate, and a passport. In the absence of these documents, an attestation letter from the Alkalo is required.
Among other speakers at the demonstration exercise included the ward councilor of Bakoteh and the head of the SOS village, Doctor Samuel Mills of World Bank; officials of Ministry of Health; National Health Insurance Authority were also in attendance.
