Medical Insurance for 20 retired journalists in Western Region

The Western Region Branch of the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA-WR) has secured a year's comprehensive medical insurance for 20 journalists who have lived and worked in the region and are currently on retirement as part of the maiden regional GJA Media Awards.

The headline sponsor of the Awards, scheduled for November 9, 2019, Goldfields Ghana Limited, has presented a package worth ¢68,000.00 to the association in Takoradi.

This is to enable the retired journalists to access quality healthcare at no cost to them.

Regional Chairman

Explaining the rationale behind the initiative, the Western Regional Chairman of the Association, Mr M. Dotsey Koblah Aklorbortu said the plight of most retired journalists was nothing to write home about due to the poor service conditions under which most of them worked.

He described the situation as unacceptable saying “those who brought us the sizzling stories and, captivating photographs, left office with nothing and even unnoticed, this is not acceptable and its about time we changed the narration.”

The burden of paying

The medical insurance is therefore to reduce their burden in paying for quality healthcare, which most are unable to afford. "The era where retired journalists leave and die in squalor and die destitute is over. The time has come for journalists to take care of their own", he added.

He said the GJA in the region was going to focus on the welfare of journalists while on the job and when they go on retirement. “It is sad that most employers don’t pay their journalists commensurate salary for their work. They crisscross the country in service of the nation but when they retire the story is different.”

Mr Aklorbortu said he was grateful to Goldfields Ghana and other companies for the magnanimous support in helping to take care of journalists who have helped in shaping the socio-economic development of the country.

Gold Fields

The Executive Vice President of Gold Fields in-charge of Human Resource West Africa, Francis Eduku said he was highly enthused about the idea of supporting retirees in the journalism industry.

Journalists, he said, had helped shape the course of the mining industry through their reportage and that the time had come to see journalists as development partners and not a group of antagonists.

“Through their reportage they have ensured the protection of the environment in line with sustainable mining and compliance with laws and regulations all in the service of the nation,” he said.

He gave an assurance that Gold Fields Ghana was ready to contribute to the development of the media and that his outfit would hold further discussions with regional executive on further collaborations for the mutual benefit of the two organisations.

Gold Sponsors

The Ghana National Gas Company (Ghana Gas), the Gold Sponsors, earlier presented ¢30,000.00, to the association to support the awards. The country’s first international oil and gas company Spring Fields Ghana, Zeal Environmental Technologies, Stanbic Bank, MTN Ghana, the utility company PDS, Kosmos, Tullow Oil Ghana and individuals among others.

The Regional GJA has slated holding its awards at the Best Western Atlantic Hotel in Takoradi on the theme: Redefining Corporate Social Responsibility – Moving from handouts to legacy projects, The Role Of The Gate Keeper.

Excellence

The ceremony would be used to honour excellence in journalism and celebrate past and present journalists in the region.

Beneficiaries of the medical insurance scheme would also be presented with their policy certificates and cards to enable them to access health care in facilities across the country.

Journalists who would emerge the winners would be presented with prizes ranging from laptops, tablets as well as other working tools.

Honorary awards will also be presented to individual and corporate bodies in the extractive industry who have over the years trained and supported the development of journalists in the region.