A total of 44,408 beneficiaries of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) and other vulnerable groups have been enrolled onto the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in the Bono East Region, in 2021.
The Regional Director, Department of Social Welfare (DSW), Mrs Evelyn YawaBansah, in an interview with the Ghanaian Times on Tuesday here, said the move was to provide free and easy access to health care for the beneficiaries.
Giving the breakdown, Mrs Bansah indicated that her outfit registered 10,707 new members including 5,089 males and 5,618 females and 33,701 renewals making 15,785 males and 17,916 females.
Mrs Bansah noted that the DSW enrolled 23,420 indigenes, 2,228 aged, 2,572 Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), 2,221 Orphans and Vulnerable Children(OVC), 9,923 LEAP beneficiaries and 4,044 school feeding beneficiaries were enrolled onto the NHIS.
The Regional Director disclosed that the exercise was successful by the hard work of officials of DSW at the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) with NHIS and LEAP Management Secretariat (LMS).
Mrs Bansah in a related development, said an amount of GH₵ 4,459,206 LEAP payment was effected to 13,498 households in 386 communities across the Bono East Region during the period under review.
The Regional Director indicated that districts and municipalities received and disbursed GH₵ 501,923 to 489 PWDs under the three per cent District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) in the Region.
“The amount was disbursed to beneficiaries across the Bono East Region based on individual needs. Most PWDs are now small-business holders in their communities “, she stated.
Mrs Bansah said GH ₵127,090 was paid to 81 persons on educational purposes, GH₵ 57,985 to purchase deep freezers for 26 PWDs, GH 27,774 was used to buy industrial sewing machines to 23 persons.
She noted that GH ₵33,363 was paid to 44 people who engaged on farming activities, GH₵ 68,466 to 49 persons on medical support, GH₵ 172,389 to 168 PWDs on social support and GH ₵2,500 on elections of PWDs officers.
The Regional Director said DSW was mandated to provide quality social welfare services to enable the citizenry meet life’s challenges, and to promote social and family responsibilities for the communities.
“The vision of the department is to build together a caring community with self-sufficiency, dignity, harmony, and happiness through professionalism, effective communication and people-oriented services”, Mrs Bansah said.
FROM EMMANUEL ADU GYAMFI, TECHIMAN
