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Increase LEAP stipends—Advocate of the Aged Welfare pleads
The government has been urged to increase stipends given to beneficiaries of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) especially the aged, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This, in the view of Advocates of the Aged Welfare, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), would go a long way to aid the elderly to meet their daily needs especially during these trying times.
According to the Executive Director of the NGO, Richard Ofori, the support received by the aged had declined because their dependents were grappling with the economic impact of COVID-19, including job losses.
In an interview with the Ghanaian Times yesterday, he said; “The socio-economic effect of the COVID-19 will eventually reduce the number of aged to death if nothing is immediately done to mitigate the impact.”
He was speaking on the backdrop of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day which is being marked today across the world on the theme “The impact of COVID-19 on violence, abuse and neglect of elderly persons.”
The United Nations (UN) General Assembly has designated June 15 to focus global attention on the problem of physical, emotional, and financial abuse of elders and seek support to make their lives more comfortable.
The LEAP stipends, introduced in 2008, is given to the extremely poor including aged who are 65 years and above without any form of support, severely disabled without productive capacity and orphaned and vulnerable children.
As of last year, a household of a beneficiary was paid GH¢64 every two months, households of two, three and four beneficiaries were paid GH¢74, 83 and GH¢106, respectively every two months.
This, according Mr Ofori, was not sufficient in the prevailing times.
On abuse, he said the WHO estimated that one out of the six people aged 60 and above suffered abuse, adding that a survey conducted by his NGO in 2009 showed that seven out of 10 aged people in Ghana suffered same fate including neglect.
He said the abuse was still ongoing with many aged tagged as witches and wizards, a situation which, was affecting the elderly people emotionally and thus urged the public to report incidences of aged abuse to the police.
Mr Ofori appealed to the government to dedicate some health facilities as specialist hospitals for the aged because most of them were afraid to go for their routine check-ups due to the fear of contracting the virus.
Source: Ghanaian Times
News
Minister of Health appeals to Tamale Teaching Hospital striking doctors
The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has appealed to the striking doctors at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) to calll off the suspension and come to the negotiation table.
However, he refused to apologise as demanded by the striking doctors.
The doctors after a meeting yesterday have withdrawn emergency services following the dismissal of the Chief Executive Officer of the hospital.
This follows an unannounced visit to the hospital by the Minister on Tuesday.
The Minister made the appeal when addressing the media in Accra on Today, April 24 2025.
According to him, dialogue is the only way out to resolve the issue, adding that he was ready collaborate with them.
“I am prepared for us to come around the table and discuss whatever we need to discuss,” Mr Akandoh said.
“My humble appeal to my wonderful medical doctors and health professionals at Tamale Teaching Hospital is that I am the first person to take care of your interests. Therefore, let’s call off the strike and let’s all regroup and strategise going forward,” he concluded.
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Health Minister donates medical equipment to Tamale Teaching Hospital, pledges commitment to reforms
The Minister for Health Kwabena Miintah Akandoh has reiterated government’s commitment to address long-standing challenges in the health sector, describing the health system as one that requires urgent reform and collective responsibility.
He made these remarks during a donation of some essential medical equipment and supplies to the Tamale Teaching Hospital on behalf of the Ministry of Health.
The donation included a wide range of equipment such as ECG machines, ICU ventilators, cardiac monitors, anesthesia machines, infant incubators, and essential
Consumables amounting to about 35 items.
Among the items highlighted were
Emergency Health Equipment (EHE) sets, nebulizer sets, and medical-grade towels.
The Health Minister acknowledged the difficult working conditions health professionals continue to endure and emphasized that government efforts alone would not be enough to resolve systemic issues.
He called for unity across the health sector and urged all stakeholders, including medical doctors, nurses, and pharmacists, to work together to ensure that the country’s limited resources are used efficiently.
He noted that the wellbeing of the ordinary Ghanaian should be central to healthcare delivery, cautioning against practices that marginalize the underprivileged due to resource scarcity. According to him, every Ghanaian life is valuable, and the system must reflect that belief in both policy and practice.
Mr.Akandoh stressed that his leadership approach is rooted in humility, collaboration, and respect for all health workers. While acknowledging that change may come with challenges, he maintained that cooperation is key to achieving lasting improvements in the sector.
The Minister pleaded with health professionals in the Tamale Teaching Hospital to call off the strike and regroup to strategize on more effective ways to address their concerns through dialogue and collaboration with relevant authorities.
The donation to the Tamale Teaching Hospital forms part of a broader national initiative to modernize medical infrastructure and enhance service delivery in Ghana’s healthcare.
