The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has called on the Akufo-Addo led government to ensure that the Aging Bill is quickly passed to take care of the elderly in the country.
Joseph Whittal, the Commissioner of CHRAJ, noted that family systems are breaking down with huge financial burdens on a few breadwinners, making the situation of the aged “deplorable.”
According to the Commissioner, when the Bill is passed into law, it would address the loopholes in the National Health Insurance Scheme that do not favour the aged, 70 years and above.
“It would also place some aging-related diseases like arthritis, diabetes, and cancers under the Scheme as well as enable the aged with mobility issues access government facilities and buildings without struggle.”
Joseph Whittal
Mr Whittal expressed his disappointment in Ghana as a lower middle-income country, noting that “it is unfortunate that though Ghana is advancing as a lower middle-income country, some indicators are not good. We are just ticking the boxes and not being realistic.”
The Commissioner observed that many social intervention policies being implemented in the country did not cover the aged well. He thus, stressed on the need for government to fast-track the passage of the Bill and also implement the Aged Policy well.
Mr Whittal is worried that everyone is aging and as such, it is important for the government to ensure that the Bill is passed, especially as the component of the public service who are on regular pension is only three percent.
The CHRAJ boss moreover noted that Ghana has about 1.6 million citizens who are aged 65 and above. Therefore, the anticipation is that by 2025, more than 2.5 million Ghanaians would also be above 65 years and so, Government must not “sleep on its responsibilities towards the aged.”
“Aging comes with complications of health, loneliness, poverty and to some extent abuse. So, if we leave the aged to fend for all these, then we may not be called a caring government and that goes for all governments.”
Joseph Whittal
Mr Whittal stated that it is unfortunate that the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme being implemented by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) did not cover all aged people nationwide. He thus, called on government to consider going beyond cash grant and put in place enduring systems that could take care of the aged.
“That is why we are seeking that all those issues of the aged are brought into the Bill to address aging. Not as if the aged should be given freebies, but because it is only right for the nation they have worked for and developed to this state, which they now have to exit. It is right to hold them up and support them in times of need”.
Joseph Whittal
The Commissioner, therefore, called on the MoGCSP and the Office of the Attorney General to, as a matter of urgency, bring the Aging Bill before Parliament for passage, adding “Because it will affect all of us irrespective of political partisanship or ethnicity, and when we are old, we can take advantage of what the law has put in place for all of us.”
Mr Whittal chided Parliament and the MoGCSP and accused them of being selective when it comes to the bills to be passed.
“We as a country are very eager with a rush to pass the bills that can bring money and loans and others to execute our programmes but a number of countries have the aging bill that addresses these issues of importance”.
Joseph Whittal
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