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A National Aging Policy has been drawn up to ensure that old people in Ghana grow in dignity, President John Dramani Mahama has revealed.

He said care for the aged was a very important responsibility and as a result he has charged the Gender Minister to ensure that she focuses on allowing old people to grow in dignity.
According to the President, he “thinks the policy is either in Parliament or it is going to be passed and that the policy will regulate and guide how we treat the elderly and how government interfaces with the elderly going forward.”

There have been concerns over neglect for the aged in Ghana with regards to their happiness and health. Most health facilities in the country do not have geriatric facilities to address special needs of the growing population.

Addressing a press conference at the Flagstaff House on Tuesday, President Mahama said the Minister of Gender was targeting destitute old people, “people who have been neglected and abandoned by family and trying to assist them so that they will be able to live a life of dignity.”

This, he said will fall under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme, where they will be given cash transfers monthly so that they can look after themselves.

President Mahama said the bank card which the Gender Ministry has introduced has so far registered 10,000 people and will continue to register more aged people.

The card is supposed to give them priority service in anything that they do like hospital attendance and banking service.

He said what government intends to do is to train more geriatric health care personnel.