2,500 elderly persons enrolled onto NHIS for free

• Posted on August 9, 2016
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Over 2,500 elderly persons have been registered onto the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for free in four districts in the Volta Region as part of social intervention programmes being rolled out for the elderly.

This addition increases the figure of registered elderly persons across the country so far to about 15,000.

According to Nana Oye Lithur, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the move is to enable the elderly and all vulnerable groups access quality healthcare.

She made this declaration on a four-day working visit to the Volta Region and saw to the enrolment of over 600 elderly persons onto the NHIS in the North Tongu District, South Tongu District, Ketu South Municipal Assembly and Hohoe Municipal Assembly.

Also, the Gender Minister used the visit to hold brief discussions with the elderly about issues affecting their welfare as senior citizens and also monitor the 43rd LEAP payments.

According to her, the Government of Ghana believes that the elderly should be assisted in diverse ways to help them enjoy old-age after contributing their quota to the development of the country.

She recounted that her outfit rolled out the Eban Elderly Welfare card, which enables the elderly to be exempted from queuing to access social services and use transport services at half price and others.

Nana Oye detailed that her ministry has carried out free registrations for children on the school feeding programme, LEAP beneficiaries, prisoners and head porters across the nation.

“The Government of Ghana believes in social democracy, which hinges on investing in people for national development,” she added.

Touching on figures, she stated that so far across the nation 11,000 prisoners, 200,000 children, over 15,000 elderly persons and about 71,000 households, out of the about 200,000 household of the LEAP beneficiaries, have also been enrolled.

In Battor, North Tongu, Torgbuiga Patamia Dzekle VII welcomed the minister and lauded her for her zeal and commitment towards the welfare of the vulnerable.

“I have been monitoring your work in the country and I can say that your appointment is a blessing to this nation,” he added.

He pleaded with Nana Oye Lithur to expand the number of elderly persons targeted for enrolment onto the NHIS and also expand it to other villages in the area.

Traditional heads in the South Tongu District called on government to bring more social intervention programmes to the region as well as focus on the needs of the people.

Fiaga Agama Ammata IV of Fiave noted that the impact of social interventions cannot be undermined as it contributes to social development.

However, he called for effective monitoring to ensure that the interventions reach those they are meant for so that the purpose for which they were established will not be defeated.

In the Ketu South Municipal area, Torgbui Amenya Fiti V of the Aflao Traditional Area appealed to government to bring massive developmental projects to the region.

According to him, the Volta Region is developing but a lot more can be done to better the people’s lives.

Nana Oye Lithur ended her visit in the Hohoe Municipal Assembly, where Togbega Gabusu VI, Chief of the Gbi Traditional Area, also called on government to bring more developmental projects to the Volta Region.

Togbega Gabusu seized the opportunity to appeal to all politicians to ensure that their sympathisers and supporters do not throw this country into chaos in the upcoming polls.

According to him, if war should erupt, it would affect the vulnerable groups the Gender Ministry is working hard to cushion and support.

“We need more social intervention policies in Hohoe,” he appealed.

During discussions held with the elderly, they expressed their gratitude to government for focusing on their wellbeing, and appealed to him to ensure that the policies concerning them are backed legally so that the change of government would not disrupt things.

Others called for an increase in the LEAP disbursement being given to them.

By Emefa Abla ADJEI, Accra