Pensioners urge companies to support medical scheme

The pensioners associations in Ghana have appealed to corporate bodies, particularly, the telecommunication companies, to donate to the Post-retirement Medical Scheme, established to fund geriatric ailments not covered under the National Health Insurance Scheme.

At a meeting to assess the progress of the scheme, in Accra, the pensioners said they were impressed with the investments the companies were making in line with meeting their corporate social responsibilities, and therefore, needed them to include their scheme in those investments so that retirees would not die prematurely.

About 55,000 SSNIT pensioners have contributed four Ghana cedis each to the fund, which has been invested for future operations.

Mr Edward Ameyibor, General Secretary of the SSNIT National Pensioners Association, appealed to the Trades Union Congress to also institute a medical scheme for those in active service to complement that of the Pensioners so that upon retirement the contributors could also draw from the scheme.

Mr Ameyibor explained that it was very challenging for pensioners to save for their healthcare needs because their pension allowances were very meagre.

Therefore, he said, it was prudent for those in active service to contribute at least three cedis each into the Fund towards building a reliable scheme.

Mr Ameyibor expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Labour and Relations for proposing a Legislative Instrument for a healthcare scheme for the aged to be implemented this year.

Those at meeting included representatives from the Ghana Government Pensioners Association, the University of Ghana Pensioners Association, the Fire Service Pensioners Association, the Immigration Pensioners Association, the Customs Pensioners Association, the Prisons Pensioners Association, and the Veterans Association of Ghana.