THE National Health Fund (NHF) has extended its opening hours in order to facilitate longer hours of interface with its customers, beneficiaries and providers.

As of today, the Customer Care Department at the NHF’s Dominica Drive headquarters will open from 7:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Thursday, and 7:00 am to 3:30 pm on Friday.

Vice-president for Individual Benefits Ann Logan explained that the move is intended to improve service delivery to the agency’s customers. “We will be extending our hours of operation to the general public. They will now be able to come in to the NHF and do business from as early as seven in the morning,” she pointed out.

Logan said that the 7:00 am opening, which is one and a half hours earlier than the previous 8:30 start, will facilitate people who wish to do business before going to work.

Special provision has also been made for providers. “Between 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm, our pharmacies will be able to call in with their queries to be addressed at that time. This is a new service that is being offered and is in response to the needs of our providers. Many of the pharmacies open until quite late and they process prescriptions after 5:00 pm for beneficiaries, so we are improving our service in this area,” she explained.

Logan said that in order to provide the extended service, the NHF will be establishing flexible work hours for staff.