The National Pensioners Association (NPA) of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has announced the take-off of its flagship project, the Pensioners Medical Scheme, for its members.
The General Secretary of the Association, Edward Ameyibor, said this at a press conference in Accra.
He said by the introduction of the Scheme, its members would no more go through the suffering of raising funds to treat ailments that are beyond the National Health Insurance Scheme and they could also be assured of quality treatment within the borders of Ghana.
The piloting of the scheme would start next week in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions and the national implementation is expected by February 2015.
Mr Ameyibor said in addition to the new scheme is the free annual medical checkup for its members which would cover six critical that mainly affect older people and they are blood pressure, eyes, cholesterol screening, diabetes type two and prostate cancer.
“In addition to these specific screening, there will be general physical examination of members to assess their general well-being and early diagnosis of most medical condition as well as picking risk factors for development of certain diseases,” he said.
Mr Ameyibor said examination on the nervous system, hearing, breast, respiratory system, heart sounds and abdominal would also be carried out for members including other benefits such as physiotherapy, chemography, ambulance services and hospital accommodation.
He disclosed that the idea behind the scheme was home grown by its own members but not SSNIT as it is being alleged.
Per the Pensioners Medical Scheme, each member of the Association is supposed to contribute GHC4.00 every month (GHC 48.00 per annum) out of their pensions to support the programme.
He therefore, wondered why some people who are not known to the Association have resorted to use the media to tarnish the image of the NPA leadership including SSNIT by wrongly accusing them of extorting money from pensioners.
He said the monthly contribution of GHC4.00 by its members is not an extortion of money but a contribution to give them good health and appealed to the media to verify such allegations before going to press and also advised all NPA members aged 72 and above to take advantage of the biometric registration by SSNIT to continue to benefit from their pensions.
Source: GNA