General News of Saturday, 20 October 2001

Source: GNA

Pensioner collapses in banking hall

The High Street branch of the Ghana Commercial Bank in Accra on Thursday was the scene of pity when a pensioner who had gone there to cash his 50,000-cedi monthly stipend collapsed and injured his head.

The man believed to be in his 70s who was in a queue for over an hour, fell and banged his head on the floor, sustaining a cut.

Good Samaritans washed the cut with cold water and he was made to lie on a bench by other customers while a sympathetic security man got his money for him.

GNA called management of the bank to find out what arrangements the bank has to ensure the comfort and safety of aged customers, but there was no response.

The GNA learnt that the 18th of every month is known by most of the bank's clients as "pensioners' day".

On this day pensioners, most of them old and feeble, throng the banking hall to take their stipends and spend most of the time standing in long queues.