The move seeks to support the creation of decent employment and health care delivery
The Centre for Local Governance Advocacy (CLGA) as part of the European Union-funded Promoting Access of Indigenous People to Decent Work and Social Protection in the Bono East Area of Ghana (PRODESOP) Project has enrolled target beneficiaries of the project onto the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
The PRODESOP Project is a 4-year social protection project aimed at leveraging on the ginger value chain in Kintampo North Municipality and Kintampo South District; and the fish value chain in the Pru East and Pru West Districts to provide employment for the very poorest within the communities especially women, youth and PWDs to enable them to access social protection services.
The project specifically seeks to support the creation of decent employment through the development of ginger value chain in the Kintampo North Municipality and Kintampo South District; and the fish value chain in the Pru East and Pru West Districts. It also seeks to increase access to social protection services for women and persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the Bono East Area.
Preliminary studies during project conception established that many women and persons with disability in the project districts were either not registered under the NHIS or had their coverage expired and therefore could not access good health care.
All target beneficiaries knew about the NHIS but a significant number of them could not afford the subscription fee or lacked knowledge on how and where to renew their subscription.
The Project, in collaboration with the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) in the four project districts undertook a registration and enrollment of the Project target beneficiaries in their respective districts. Overall, more than four hundred persons benefitted from the enrolment; comprising new registration and membership renewals.
Speaking to Mr. Isaac Owusu; a Research Officer of the CLGA, he intimated that the registration and renewal constituted a key component of the Project and it was necessary to ensure that project beneficiaries while undertaking their farming activities, were assured of access to quality health care in case of ill-health.
He added that the Project is expected to enroll at least 2,400 persons onto the NHIS within 4 years. Another batch of beneficiaries would therefore be registered in due course.
Speaking on the status of project implementation, Mr. Owusu indicated that three demonstration centres with ancillary facilities including a hatchery, a nursery, cottage-based processing units and warehouse facilities have been constructed in three of the project districts to support the successful implementation of the project.
Ginger farmers in the Kintampo Municipality and Kintampo South Districts have also benefitted from a 200-acre multiplication plot with irrigation systems.
Rhizomes and fertilizers have also been distributed to the beneficiaries and the plots are currently under cultivation by them.