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Madam Cecilia Osei, Leader, Jachie Society for the Aged in the Bosomtwe District of the Ashanti Region, has appealed to the government to implement the National Ageing Policy to make the welfare of the Aged a national obligation. She urged the Government to also incorporate geriatric healthcare into the existing healthcare delivery system and provide the accompanying specialized training for health workers. Madam Osei made the appeal at the Older Persons Day celebration of the Ashanti Region in Kumasi on Saturday. The event organized jointly by the Compassion Africa Aged Foundation (CAAF) and the Help Age Ghana, both Non-governmental Organizations (NGOS) aims at recognizing and appreciating the contributions of older Persons in society. It was also to draw the attention of the plight of Older Persons to the government to enable it come out with policies and programmes to improve on their welfare. This year�s celebration was under the theme, �Age Demands Action� She said payment of registration fees by the poor, including Older Persons in the exemption category under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) should be abolished adding, the diseases and drugs payment coverage of the NHIS should also be made more relevant to the healthcare needs of Older Persons. Madam Osei called for the downward review of the age for exemption from the present age of 70 years to 65 years or lower saying �after all life expectancy is not yet 60 years�. On the Livelihood Empowerment against Poverty (LEAP) cash and transfer programme, she regretted that more than 10 months of the allowances to beneficiaries had not been paid and called on the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare to expedite action to pay allowances to all beneficiaries to help improve their living standards. Reverend Francis Addo Nyadu, Executive Secretary of the CAAF, said the organization in collaboration with the Help Age Ghana has embarked on Older Citizens Monitoring Project in six communities in Kumasi Metropolis and Bosomtwe District of the Ashanti Region. He said the project aims at reducing poverty and marginalization amongst Older Persons by improving access to a range of poverty reduction and healthcare entitlements. He mentioned the beneficiary communities in the project as Anloga, Oforikrom and Bomso in the Kumasi Metropolis and Jachie, Kuntenase and Apenkra also in the Bosomtwe District. Mr Augustine Boakye, Senior Monitory and Evaluation Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority in the Ashanti Region, briefed the participants on the new Capitation programme of the Authority. He asked them to educate their colleagues and families on the need to register in both and NHIS and the Capitation programme to enable them have access to medical care at all times