The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) will roll out telemedicine channels for pensioners across the country by the end of 2025 to enhance healthcare access, particularly for those living in remote communities.
Mr Kwesi Afreh Biney, the Director General of SSNIT, made this known during the 2025 edition of the SSNIT Pensioners Engagement on Thursday, in Accra, on the theme: “Honouring Experience, Securing Dignity: The Role of SSNIT”.
He emphasised SSNIT’s commitment to going beyond the traditional role of paying pensions, saying; “For decades, SSNIT has survived to pay pensions. Our goal is not just to continue doing what we have been doing, but to do more in ensuring that we begin providing added benefits beyond what we provide.”
The telemedicine channels, which are being developed in partnership with the Trust Hospital, one of SSNIT’s investee companies, would allow pensioners to consult doctors via phone or online channels, ensuring prompt access to basic healthcare services.
“Many of our pensioners live in areas without nearby clinics. This initiative will help bridge that gap, enabling them to access medical consultations without travelling long distances,” Mr Biney said.
Consultation services under the platform, he said, would be covered by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), on which all SSNIT contributors were already subscribed.
“Basic medications under NHIA will also be accessible through the system. But for cases requiring further care, SSNIT is exploring additional partnerships with NGOs and international healthcare entities to provide comprehensive support,” Mr Biney said.
In addition to healthcare innovations, he said SSNIT was expanding its digital and physical presence to better serve pensioners, and that steps were being taken to decentralise service delivery, including co-locating SSNIT staff at selected banks to reduce the need for pensioners to travel to its 53 existing branches.

“Digital tools now allow our staff, even at a bank near you, to access our systems and serve you as efficiently as at any branch. We are working to make SSNIT more accessible and responsive.”
Mr Biney touched on internal reforms aimed at strengthening the Trust’s investments and improving sustainability, pledging to ensure pensioners received fair indexation rates as SSNIT funds were invested prudently to generate better returns.
He urged pensioners to always provide feedback to the Trust and not hold back.
“Please give us your feedback. Your voices are critical to shaping how we serve you. We want to ensure that even when we are asleep, we are thinking about how to resolve the issues you raise,” he said.
Mr Biney hinted at some activities to mark SSNIT’s 60th Anniversary this July, promising continued engagement and collaborative planning for the future.
“This journey is more than just pensions. It is about delivering dignity, convenience, and care to our retirees.”
Mr Frank Molbila, the General Manager of Benefits, SSNIT, urged the pensioners not to compromise on their wellbeing.
“You must be socially active, engage in games that do not involve a lot of physical activities, stay healthy, eat balanced diets, engage in regular exercises and have adequate rest.”
Pensioners, he noted, must make room for regular checkups to guarantee their physical wellbeing, keep their minds active with reading, solving puzzles, and learning new skills.
“Use relaxation and deep breathing to release stress, engage in games that stimulate thinking and help improve mental wellbeing,” Mr Molbila said.
“If you are able to combine all these in your daily lives, you will live longer, and SSNIT will always be happy to pay your benefits,” he added.
Mr Stephen Boakye, General Secretary, National Pensioners Association, commended SSNIT for the continued engagement and efforts to improve service delivery and transparency.
He said those engagements affirmed the Management’s continued prioritisation of its relationship with stakeholders, providing opportunity for open dialogue, mutual understanding and collaboration, allowing shared concerns and questions for clarity on matters that affected them.
“It is not common for institutions to look past the money they pay and show real time interest in the people receiving the money. When SSNIT listens to pensioners, works with us and supports all our activities, it goes a long way to strengthen the whole idea of social security in Ghana,” Mr Boakye said.
He assured the commitment of pensioners to supporting initiatives that strengthened the Scheme and ensured its sustainability for both current and future retirees.
He urged pensioners to be advocates of the SSNIT Scheme to encourage workers, particularly the self-employed, to enroll.