SSNIT supports physically challenged persons

The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has provided an amount of GHC 10,000.00 to support six physically challenged persons to fit artificial limbs to enable them walk.

Mr Emmanuel Pessey, a Representative at the Corporate Affairs Department of SSNIT, at a ceremony to outdoor the beneficiaries, said the gesture was part of the company’s corporate social responsibility to respond to the needs of affected persons in society especially children.

The National Prosthetics and Orthotics Centre in collaboration with stakeholders launched a project dubbed “ Sponsor a Limb, Make Someone Stand with Hope” in 2014 to enable patients have access to prosthetic services.

Mr Pessey said their outfit was touched by the project and thought it prudent to support that drive since the children were future leaders and needed attention.

He said the main responsibility of the Trust was to manage funds from contributors and invest into meaningful venture for pensioners, urging the public to contribute to the Trust to give good assurance to its contributors.

Dr Gloria Quansah Asare, Deputy Director General of the Ghana Health Service, said prosthetics and orthotics services were introduced in the country in 1950s to take care of the war veterans from the Second World War.

She said the core mandate was to provide quality physical rehabilitation services to the physically challenged persons in the country.

Dr Asare noted that the number of people who were in need of the service keeps increasing as a result of increase in road traffic accidents, domestic and agricultural accidents and diabetes, saying the American NGO, “Standing With Hope”, aids the Accra Centre with materials and technical support.

She commended Access Bank for sponsoring the project in 2014, and for providing 17prosthesis to some beneficiaries, and urged other corporate bodies to support persons who have suffered amputations.

Dr Ahmed Yacub, Board Chairman in charge of the project, in a statement read for him, said the project was to cover 30 persons with focus on children but due to limited financial support, they had to focus on six patients and appeal to all well-meaning people to support the project.

Miss Emmanuella Blay Andoh, a beneficiary, thanked SSNIT and all who supported them, adding that, their support had given them hope to return to normal life.