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About 2,500 elderly persons above 70 years in five communities in the Greater Accra Region were over the weekend registered with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) free of charge. The beneficiary communities were Madina, Teshie, Nungua, Ashaiman and Labadi. The exercise, jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MGCSP) and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), sought to register elderly persons above 70 and the vulnerable in society to have access to free medical care. The NHIS cards of the beneficiaries, both men and women, were handed over to them instantly to help them to access health care when the need arose. NHIS Law Briefing journalists after the tour of the various centres, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur, said the NHIS Law required that elderly persons above 70 had the right to access health care free of charge. She explained that the law could only be met when such persons were registered with the NHIS, stating that it was the reason why the two bodies had planned to embark on the free registration exercise across the country. Nana Oye Lithur added that so far, over one million elderly persons, including the vulnerable, had been registered and could now access free medical care. She indicated that the exercise would be extended to the Central Region, and subsequently to the other regions. The minister advised the beneficiaries to take good care of themselves. Beneficiaries Some beneficiaries who spoke to the Daily Graphic expressed happiness and excitement about the exercise and urged the government to continue with it. �We are happy that we�ve been considered at our level, said Ms Florence Siadah. �I can now go to the hospital boldly whenever I�m sick since I know that I will be treated free of charge,� another beneficiary indicated. �My card expired three years ago and so I couldn�t go to the hospital whenever I was sick. But now, I can access health care anytime,�