Accra, May 6, GNA The Ghana Red Cross Society (GRCS) on Tuesday urged the Government to review the Red Cross Act passed 50 years ago to make room for the society to meet the demands of the day. The review must be clear on the particular ministry the society should channel its problems, allocate a budget from the Consolidated Fund and recognition of members through the award of National Honours, among others.

"At 50, Ghana Red Cross has come a long way and we deserve better attention than what we are currently enjoying from the government in particular and civil societies in general", Mr Andrews Akwesi Frimpong, General Secretary of the Society said.

Addressing the media on the launch of the Society's Golden Jubilee celebrations, Mr Frimpong said the society which operated in 86 districts across the country and had offices in all the regional capitals was run as a non profit organization committed to the alleviation of human suffering and community service provision. He said like all national societies, the GRCS drew its strength from the network of its committed volunteers and that presently the society has about 50,000 volunteers which made it the largest voluntary and humanitarian based organization in the country.

Highlighting on some of the problems of the society, he mentioned poaching of staff by other humanitarian organizations, de-motivation of staff and volunteers, and piled-up debts and on-going projects coming to a halt due to lack of finance as some of them. "Despite all these problems, the Society continues to carry out its humanitarian services within the scope of its mandate and capabilities in dignity", he added.

The General Secretary mentioned the provision of health and social services, disaster management, information dissemination and organizational development as some its programmes. He said majority of state departments were not only incorporative but looked down on voluntary societies adding, "we are not a bunch of unemployed but professionals who are passionate about humanitarian services". He noted that since the creation of the society, successive governments had not been able to allocate to it a specific Ministry to take care of its needs and therefore appealed for a desk at the office of the President where they could channel their problems. The Ghana Red Cross Society, which is a member of International Federation of the Red Cross started as a league of maternal and child welfare. The league consisted of mothers, teachers, nurses and housewives with the aim of promoting the welfare of pregnant and nursing mothers, care of infants and children and the cleanliness of the home. After independence in 1957, the Ghana Red Cross Society Act 10 of 1958 was passed by Parliament leading to its recognition as a national Red Cross Society by the International Committee of Red Cross in February 1959. Activities for the celebration in Ghana will include a clean-up exercise, float, blood donation, public lectures, safety game and first aid education among others.