A group is calling on the Leadership of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) to divert it’s Cancer Fund charged Teachers, to a “Teachers’ Health Fund ”
According to the group,the Cancer Fund which is a monthly deduction of GHC2.00 per each member has not entirely serve its intended purpose.
The group indicated that the amount generated by the Association in connection with what
every member of GNAT contributes (GHC 2) every month towards the cancer cover is calculated follows;
Amount generated
GNAT’s membership is about 180,000. Therefore:
1. a total of GHC 360,000 is generated every month.
2. a total of GHC 4,320,000 is generated every year
Average cost of cancer treatment
Per the available data, the average cost of cancer treatment in Ghana is GHC 12,000. That means:
1. in one month, 30 teacher cancer patients are treated.
2 in one year, 360 teacher cancer patients are treated.
Reality check
The reality on the ground according to the group is that the number of teachers who are treated for cancer in a month is less 3, and the total number of treated cases is less than 20 in a year.
The big question
The group questioned the happenings to the huge balance of unused funds of over GHC 4 million in a year, describing teachers as having gotten a bad bargain.
The new proposition
”GNAT should abrogate this unholy MoU immediately and convert the GHC 360,000 generated a month (GHC 4,320,000 a year) into a GNAT TEACHERS HEALTH FUND’.th group proposed.
What will the fund do?
The group emphasized that with GHC 4,320,000 a year, any teacher who falls critically ill or is afflicted with a life threatening ailment (including cancer) will receive immediate full cover for all their health expenses. Any unused money remains in the fund to grow (and trust me, not even half of that money can expended in a year).
Procedure for disbursement
When a teacher is diagnosed of a critical life threatening ailment:
1. they make an application to the fund at the district level with supporting health reports.
2. a standing Health Board assesses the application and supporting health reports.
3. a report is made to the fund recommending cover for the applicant or otherwise.
4. the applicant is informed and cover is provided directly to the health facility where applicant is scheduled to receive treatment.
The group suggested that if Union leaders pluck the courage to do this, they will be instituting a monumental transformation in addressing the total health concerns of teachers in GNAT.
The group concludes that Estimates, calculations and figures used were based on the best information available to them, and that If any persons have better verifiable data, they should make same available on to them.
Meanwhile ,in response to the supposed suggestions made by the group,leadership of the Association indicated that its National Conference held at Cape Coast earlier this year took recognition of such suggestions which is currently being understudied for consideration.
Source:EducationGhana.net