Quality Insurance Company, QIC, will be holding the first-ever National Ageing Summit in December 2022 to engage stakeholders to deliberate on the importance of caring for the elderly in society.
According to Kobena Addison, the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, the idea behind the summit is to start a conversation on the need to prioritise the welfare of the elderly.
He said while QIC remains a profit-making entity, it also wants to play its part in ensuring that the elderly in society are properly cared for.
“The long and short of why we are here is that we want to get a conversation started. As an Insurance Company, we are in this world to make profits. But can we make profits from people who are not happy? The baby boomers who are all more than 60 years have the most disposable income and this is the generation we are talking about. We need to make them happy so that we can also take advantage of some of that disposable income with our insurance products; Our motor insurance, our pension, and our life insurance.
“So that’s why we are here, that’s why we are the Convener. We decided that we wanted to get into this space. We have launched this today and I look forward to the summit in December,” Kobena Addison told journalists at the media launch in Accra on Tuesday, October 18.
On her part, Prof. Mavis Dako-Gyeke, the Director of the Centre for Ageing Studies at the University of Ghana, indicated that the summit is expected to bring together stakeholders to deliberate on issues to make society safer for older people while ensuring their welfare is catered for.
She emphasised, “The rationale for this media launch is to create awareness about the summit we are envisaging having in December 2022 to highlight the needs, the challenges, and the contributions of our elderly in society.”
“The Ageing Bill is of very great concern to us and we think that it needs to be passed now because it establishes the framework for the rights of older persons and it will ensure such rights will be upheld.
“Because if we are saying that society is responsible for taking care of them then who and who is to do what. Once we have that Bill passed it comes with a legislative instrument that designates or comes out with the responsibilities to different groups that are responsible for ensuring that the wellbeing and quality of life of older persons are adhered to,” Prof. Mavis Dako-Gyeke added.
Prof. Mavis Dako-Gyeke
Felix Logah, the Focal Person for Ageing within the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, on the other hand, assured that the Ministry is committed to seeing the Ageing Bill passed.
He said, “On the part of the government which the Ministry of Gender facilitates we have the Ageing Bill in place and as said it’s being worked on. We are only waiting for the leadership of the Ministry to stabilise.
“Currently you know the Ministry of Gender we only have a caretaker minister and we have a minister-designate. So immediately parliament is through with them these are some of the pressing issues that we will work on most, especially the Bill. But as I said the other structures that are to propel the Bill are in place.”
The National Ageing Summit 2022 is put together in collaboration with the Centre for Aging Studies (CFAS) under the auspices of the outfits Golden Age Comprehensive Insurance Policy. It is supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nationals Population Fund, Ghana Health Service, Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, Help Age Ghana, the Samuel Amo Tobbin Foundation, as well as the Association of Ghana’s Elders.
CEO of QIC, Kobena Addison