NHIS registers female porters

The Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Mr Nathaniel Otoo, has appealed to institutions, both governmental and non-governmental, to help in creating programmes and activities to protect female porters (kayayei) in the big cities.

He said under his administration, the NHIS would organise and support programmes geared towards the welfare of vulnerable and disadvantaged girls and women in the communities. 

Mr Otoo stated this at his office in Accra, when he supported the registration of 50 kayayei with the health insurance scheme to lessen their burden and enhance their access to health care.

Needed support

He described the female porters as hardworking and pointed out that they needed the support of every Ghanaian in the field of training, health and outreach programmes to protect them against teenage pregnancy and unscrupulous men who took advantage of their situation.

The Project Director of the Pamela Bridgewater Project, Mr Yahaya Alhassan, said the project was supporting the female porters through education, protection, advocacy and research and expressed their appreciation to the NHIS for supporting what he called “the vulnerable segment of our populace.” 

He said the project would set a special task force at kayayei populated areas to ensure that the girls were well protected.