Ghana and Denmark have signed a memorandum of understanding for the provision of geriatric care services in Ghana, says Nana Oye Lithur, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection.

The Minister made this known during the registration of more than 500 elderly persons in the Ho Municipality with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) on Saturday.

The free registration by the Ministry was to help the aged to have easy access to health care services.

She said the cooperation between the two countries included financial and technical support for geriatric education by mainstreaming geriatrics into the main nursing and medical curriculum in the country.

Nana Oye Lithur said it also included financial and technical support for a trainer of trainees programme in nursing training colleges across the country.

She said the initiative with social protection programmes such as the Livelihood Against Poverty (LEAP), NHIS and the National Pension Scheme were aimed at providing support towards improving the living conditions of the aged.

Nana Oye Lithur said access to social services especially health, relieve the aged of stress, frustration and tiredness, which “gradually deteriorate their conditions” and expressed the hope that free access to healthcare would put smiles on the faces of those mainly 65 and above.

She said the Ministry with support of the NHIS registered more than 4000 aged persons out of the targeted 10,000 onto the NHIS database.

She said her outfit is including more disadvantaged individuals and families on the LEAP programme and called for support from all.

Madam Helen Ntoso, Volta Regional Minister reiterated the commitment of government to the less privileged, saying, “NDC is people centred.”

Mr Benjamin Kpodo, Member of Parliament of Ho and Madam Ntoso joined Nana Oye Lithur to register cured lepers in Ho with the NHIS and presented food packs, pieces of cloth and other items to the cured lepers and the elderly.