The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has launched a free, month-long registration and renewal exercise to celebrate the 76th birthday of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. Dubbed "The King's Month", the initiative aims to register one million new members in the Ashanti Region and across Ghana at no cost.

It also includes a waiver on the traditional one-month waiting period for new registrations, granting immediate access to healthcare services.

The exercise runs throughout May 2026. On the Asantehene's birthday, May 6, 2026, hundreds gathered at Manhyia Palace to register and renew their cards.

Alhaji Mohammed Muntaka Muniru, the Ashanti Regional Manager of the NHIA, explained that newly enrolled members would benefit from immediate healthcare access due to the waived waiting period.

He highlighted the goal of enrolling one million people as part of the nationwide "Storm Initiative" to boost NHIS membership.

This effort serves as the NHIA's tribute to the Asantehene's commitment to improving health access in the Ashanti Region and throughout Ghana.

"We're lunching a program to register one million people and honour of our king. When you look at the whole nation, his efforts, the sacrifice in trying to bring peace to bring people together is unflinching," he assured.

Mr Alhaji Muniru urged everyone in the region, those who have never registered and those with expired cards, to seize this opportunity.

"National Health Insurance Authority, Ashanti Region, we recognize and appreciate our ..., Otumfour Osei Tutu. In the light of that, we recognize that he's a may born, the month of May that his birth month.

"So with the blessings of our Chief Executive and the Board and the blessings of Otumfour and his kingship we're granted a permission to also be part of this August Day which is 6th May 2026.

"And the little we can do as NHIA is to honour him because he's our source of bride. Health Insurance has revolved overtime when look at it sometime back even at point if you're in Kumasi you cannot do it in Tamale or Accra, we don past that stage," he said.