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Stakeholders Engagement On Integrated Social Services Delivery System Held At Shai-Osudoku.

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MOGCSP), Ministry of Local Government Decentralization and Rural Development (MLGDRD) as well as United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) with the aid of the Shai-Osudoku District Assembly Social Welfare and Community Development Departments have held stakeholders meeting at the Word of Faith Christian School at Dodowa.

The purpose of the meeting was to re-orient stakeholders involved in the provision of social services delivery.  

The meeting was attended by stakeholders including Nene Akroboto I, Chief of Osudoku Traditional Council who represented the Osudoku Paramount Chief and also chaired, Nana Nyanya Amortey,a representative of Queen Mother of Osudoku Traditional Council, Rev. Ebenezer Asiamah, District Health Director, Harriet Lomotey, District Education Director, ASP Georgina TAWIAH, District Legal Aid Manager, Dodowa DOVVSU Unit, Robert Mensah GBLEY, District Social Welfare And Community Development officer, Hon. Noah Osabutey Presiding Member for Shai-Osudoku District Assembly (SODA) and Assembly Members of Shai-Osudoku electoral areas, Health officers in the district and various heads of department of SODA among others.

The District Social Welfare and Community Development officer Mr Robert Mensah Gbley in his opening remarks welcomed members and indicated that the occasion was meant to render assistance to people within the society.

 He further stated that the event will help empower people with the needed information in order to provide for the vulnerable in deprived communities.

The Deputy Director, Child and Family Welfare Division Mr Fred Sekyi Boafo in his speech called on the people to be united and committed to the course of using multi-dimensional approaches in making services accessible and responsive at the local level and closer to the people to ensure effective coordination of the child and family welfare system at all levels.

He stated that the aim of the Integrated Social Services Delivery System (ISSD) is to reduce poverty and vulnerability of children and families through increased access to an integrated set of social services.

 He further stated that, the objectives of the ISSD, which include strengthening capacity, coordination and systems for delivery of integrated services is to focus on child protection, social protection and health services and also to learn and document how social services can best be delivered in a more coordinated manner.

He outlined the following as common child protection and family welfare cases. They include; Domestic and Gender-Base Violence Including Sexual Abuse, Child Labour, Child Trafficking, Children in Conflict with the Law/Juvenile Justice, Teenage pregnancy and Child Marriage, lack of Parental Care, Child Maintenance and Custody, Leap and Other Similar Vulnerable Household and Child Abuse.

The District Health Director Rev.Ebenezer Asiamah in his presentation indicated that Ghana’s primary health care has three (3) levels which consist of District, Sub-District and Community including the CHPS compound. He mentioned that the purpose of the CHPS compound is to attain the goal of reaching every community with a basic package of essential health service towards attaining universal health coverage and bridging the access inequality gap. He mentioned the health facilities in the Shai-Osudoku district, which include three (3) hospitals, four (4) health centres, three (3) private clinics, one (1) maternity home, twenty-four (24) CHPS zones and ten (10) CHPS compounds.

He indicated that the role of the Ghana Health Service in the Integrated Social Services includes distribution of Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) household to Community Health Officers (CHOs) supported by LEAP and Community Focal Persons (CFPs) to identify LEAP households, home visits to LEAP households, collation of reports for submission among others.

The District Director for the National Health Insurance Madam Joyce in her speech stated that the registration exercise which started on 20/04/21 and ended on 14/05/21 marked a total number of five hundred and ninety-one (591) people.

In all, a total of five (5) registration points were used and they included Dodowa, Asutsuare, Adakope, Asutsuare Junction and Osuwem. Out of these five registration points, Asutsuare Junction recorded the highest registration with a total number of one hundred and eighty-nine (189) people registered and Osuwem came as the lowest with a total number of fifty-three (53) people. She however registered some challenges that hindered the registration process such as unavailability of official vehicles, network challenges and problems associated with identity cards renewals by some individuals.

The District Director of DOVVSU Asp Geogina Tawiah encouraged members to report all cases associated with domestic violence at their office in Dodowa. She indicated that the office is now gender-sensitive to all category of persons. She also expressed worry about non-pursuance of reported cases by clients which really affects the work of her outfit to assist in the prosecution of culprits/offenders.

Nene Akroboto I, in his closing remarks commended the department of social welfare for organizing the program and urged the assembly members to engage their community members by educating them on the ISSD.

SOURCE:ISD(SODA)