60 disabled persons in Ashanti benefited from Common Fund

Kumasi, April 27, GNA - About 10 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the Ashanti Region last year spent GH¢8,670 from Common Fund allocations on People With Disabilities (PWDs) in the region.

In all, a total 60 disabled persons benefited from the facility, which was given to them as loans, educational expenses and other forms. The amount came from the two per cent Common Fund allocation to PWDs.

The aim is to help them undertake income generating ventures to enable them contribute meaningfully towards socio-economic development of the country.

Mr Pascal Osei Twumasi, Ashanti Regional Director of the Department of Social Welfare, made this known in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Kumasi at the weekend.

He said the department registered 266 disabled persons last year in the region of which 31 were catered for in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

Mr Twumasi expressed gratitude to the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints for providing 250 wheel chairs to the department for distribution to some disabled persons. He said it was the responsibility of the department to register all Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and monitor their activities and programmes to ensure that they complied with the rules and regulations guiding their operations. The Regional Director said periodic training courses would be organised for Day Care Centre's Supervisors as well as their attendants to update their skills and knowledge