MEHSOG urges public disclosure of disability intervention beneficiaries

The Executive Secretary of the Mental Health Society of Ghana (MEHSOG) urged local government bodies to publicly disclose beneficiaries of disability support programs. During a training workshop, Mr. Kofie warned that the lack of transparency in allocating funds to persons with disabilities creates doubt that resources are being misused.

The workshop, organized by MEHSOG in collaboration with the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations and Africa Disability Institute, involved representatives from eight regions across Ghana. They were trained on tools like Community Score Cards to monitor government spending on disability initiatives.

Mr. Kofie pointed out that despite district officials being on oversight committees, disabled people often see unverified names on disbursement lists. To address this, he recommended reconciling payouts with an official local disability database and regularly publishing budget updates. Key programs to focus on include the Disability Portion of the District Assemblies Common Fund, the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty scheme, free NHIS registration for the poor, inclusive education, and accessibility standards.

Following the workshop, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly pledged to improve transparency in disability benefit distribution, explaining that decisions to allocate funds are based on rigorous evaluations. Disabled participants commended the training, stating it empowers them to demand accountability from government agencies.