The Fund, established in 2014, supports the treatment of GNAT members diagnosed with cancer. Currently, the about 260,000 members are required to contribute GH¢5 monthly to the fund.
Mr Christian Yaw Adinkra, Board Member, GNAT Cancer Foundation, during a meeting with leadership of the Ghana News Agency (GNA), in Accra, on Wednesday, said the amount realised from contributions was inadequate to support the growing number of members diagnosed with cancer.
He noted the significant rise in cancer cases among its members, over the past few years, disclosing that in Ashanti Region alone, about 358 members had been diagnosed with the disease and were undergoing treatment.
“I must say that from 2018, the figures of our colleagues going through cancer is huge. First of all, the highest region with affected members is the Ashanti Region with 358, then Greater Accra follows, Central Region. These are the records we have from the cancer centre,” he said.
He said in 2014, as a result of its commitment to the wellbeing of members, GNAT established a welfare fund into which every member was required to pay GH¢2 as a contribution.
“This is to ensure that any member plagued with cancer is treated for free to go back to teach the children committed to us by all parents in Ghana,” he said.
He explained that the increase in cost of cancer treatment coupled with surging number of affected members compelled the association to raise its contribution to GH¢5. “We have also realised that the GH¢5 we are contributing cannot sustain us.”
Mr Adinkra said support from the media and corporate organisations would enable the Foundation to manage its newly acquired Sweden Medical Centre and improve cancer treatment for members and the public.
Mr Armstrong Asante, Board Chair, GNAT Cancer Foundation, indicated that cancer, though expensive, was treatable and urged the public, particularly teachers to seek early treatment rather than wait,emphasising that, “Cancer is not a spiritual disease.”
Mr Asante called on the government and corporate Ghana to support the Foundation to enable it to assist members who had been diagnosed with the disease.
He appealed to the public to donate to the fund through the shortcode – *776*123#.
Mrs Beatrice Asamani Savage, the Director of Editorial, GNA, said as a media house, the GNA had supported causes that sought to bring development to the nation, indicating that seeking the welfare of teachers was welcomed.
Cancer, she noted, had become a common sickness in the Ghanaian society, making everybody susceptible to the disease.
Continuous education, especially about lifestyle, she said, was key in tackling the disease, assuring that the GNA would do whatever it took to support the cause.
“As we are aware the cause of cancer is still being determined by the scientists and the cost of treatment is very high, so it is important that we do the education on the known causes of cancer so that preventive measures take precedent over curative and management cases,” she said.
She, therefore, described the initiative as a “noble cause” which would advance the welfare of teachers, especially retired teachers diagnosed with cancer.
“It is part of the agenda to further the wellbeing of our people. The teachers being so important to our society and being a large population, everything that affect teachers affect Ghana, it affects the very root of our society because children are nurtured by teachers to build a nation,” she added.
