The Sunyani Municipal Assembly on Thursday gave the physically challenged in the Municipality life assisting packages worth Gh¢162,736.00 to improve their living conditions.

The package benefited 97 People with Disabilities (PwDs) who applied and it included free National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) registration and renewal, payment for additional drugs and medication not covered by the NHIS.

The rest were deep freezers, sewing and knitting machines and other business start-up tools to set up their own enterprises, as well as assistive devices for some to aid their movements.

But others received financial support in the form of cheques to either expand their already established businesses or to finance their formal education.

Addressing the gathering, Mrs Evelyn Ama Kumi-Richardson, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), said the presentation was to fulfil the objective of the government to ensure that all categories of persons in the country, especially PwDs would benefit from the “national cake”.

The packages were therefore to create sustainable means of income to economically empower the recipients to enhance their socio-economic well-being, she said.

Mrs Kumi-Richardson expressed the hope that such national support to the PwDs, would assist in bringing to an end the begging for alms on the streets by some of the PWDs in the urban centres particularly.

Mr. Thomas Tornu, the Municipal Director of Social Welfare and Community Development, said the amount was a three per cent of the Assembly’s share of the District Assemblies Common Fund for the first quarter of 2018, and urged the beneficiaries to use whatever was received for its intended purpose.

He assured that those who applied but did not benefit would be considered in the next quarter.

Mr. Fatawu Fuseini, a beneficiary and President of the Federation of PwDs in the Municipality, commended the government on behalf of his colleagues, and confirmed that “we have indeed received what we requested for” and pledged a fruitful use of them.