Older Persons Want To Have A Voice � NPA SSNIT

The National Pensioners Association of Social Security and National Insurance Trust (NPA-SSNIT) on Tuesday called for concerted efforts to meet the health needs of older persons. �Corporate bodies and government have moral obligation to meet the medical needs of pensioners�since many of the diseases pensioners are experiencing now have proved to be job related,� Mr Edward Ameyibor, General Secretary of NPA-SSNIT said in a statement issued in Accra on Tuesday and copied to Ghana News Agency to mark the UN Day for the elderly person. The NPA-SSNIT, therefore, appeals to SSNIT and the National Pensions Regulatory Authority to come out with an indexation equivalent to the daily minimum wage to ensure a dignified post work life for pensioners. The statement noted that most of the health needs of pensioners are beyond areas covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme, therefore corporate bodies must contribute to the Pensioners Medical Scheme (PMS) to complement government efforts. It said by 2050, the number of older persons in developed countries would be twice the number of children while the number in developing countries is expected to double. This trend will have profound effects on countries and individuals. On December 14, 1990 the United Nations General Assembly by resolution 45/106 designated October 1; the International Day of Older Persons. This year�s commemoration on the theme: �The future we want: what older persons are saying,� has been chosen to draw attention to the efforts of older persons, civil society organisations, UN organisations and Member States to place the issue of ageing on the international development agenda. The NPA-SSNIT is, therefore, using the occasion to reiterate calls for a holistic support for pensioners especially by corporate bodies; stressing that most pensioners contract whatever ailments they are experiencing in their old age at the work place. �Those who worked in textile mills, the mines have been found to have lung infected ailments while those who worked at airports, broadcasting and bottling plants have hearing problems and those who worked long hours behind computers have sight problems. �In Juapong alone, 20 pensioners who were workers of the Juapong Textiles have died in the past year with four more in the mortuary awaiting burial. When they were in employment, their companies gladly paid their medical bills, but now they cannot afford the bill, retirement should not be a death warrant.� The NPA-SSNIT, therefore, appealed to corporate bodies to continue to show interest in the post retirement health of the older person by contributing generously to the PMS. The Association also commended the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Trades Union Congress and Help Age Ghana for their co-operation to improve the living condition of pensioners. The scheme will be supported mainly by levies on pensions and donations from the public. The Association called on government to set up the National Council on Ageing to implement the policy launched in 2011.