Opinions of Saturday, 20 August 2022
Columnist: Anthony Obeng Afrane
2022-08-20Mahama empathised with the needy who had challenges accessing healthcare
Former president, John Dramani Mahama
According to Forbes, empathy has always been a critical skill for leaders because it is an important part of exceptional leadership that contributes to positive outcomes.
Great leadership requires a fine mix of all kinds of skills to create the conditions for engagement and happiness; and empathy tops the list of what leaders must get right, as claimed by Forbes.
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President Mahama seems to be wired for sympathy. He does not only understand the needy but feels their pain.
As part of his efforts to extend the coverage of the Health Insurance Scheme to vulnerable groups and to provide financial protection against the cost of basic healthcare, his Government initiated some programmes to cover the needy in society. Persons under 18 years, pregnant women, LEAP beneficiaries, the aged, indigents, and people in special homes such as the leprosaria and mental homes, constituted the exempt group under the National Health Insurance scheme. They, therefore, did not pay any premium. Mahama's government registered more than 1.6 million indigents across the country before leaving office. Impressive, isn't it?
Reference: NDC Green Book.