Employers are under strict control to pay medical expenses of employees – SIC

Mr. Faris Attrickie, the General Manager and Technical Operations of the SIC Insurance Company PLC, has disclosed that employers are under obligation of the Workmen’s Compensation Act, to pay medical expenses of employees in respect of any injury that will occur in line of their duties.

Mr. Attrickie made the revelation at the seventh ‘Workers’ Appreciation Day’ seminar in Accra.

He explained that the act makes provision for compensation for permanent incapacity, and where incapacity results from the injury, the amount of compensation total shall be a sum of money equal to 96 months’ earnings.

Mr. Faris Attrickie stated that in the case of injury which was not specified, a percentage of the compensation payable in the case of permanent total incapacity and proportionate to the loss of earning would be paid.

On compensation for permanent partial incapacity, Mr. Attrickie noted that where permanent partial incapacity results from the injury, the amount of compensation shall be, in the case of an injury specified.

“Where more injuries than one is caused by the same accident, the amount of compensation payable under this section shall be aggregated, but shall not exceed the amount, which would have been payable if permanent total incapacity had resulted from the injuries.”

Mr. Attrickie ceased the moment to once again educate on the New Insurance Act, Act 1061 of 2021, and Section 216.  He thus, tasked specialised bodies to study the act, stressing that the medical institutions need to have professional indemnity cover, and if they do not, the owner or employer could be summary convicted to a fine or a term of imprisonment.

Mr. Attrickie noted that professional indemnity has become compulsory through the new insurance Act, which replaced Act 726 of 2006.

“Now this new insurance act made it compulsory for any employer to ensure that every employee should come under the professional indemnity cover and an employer that fails to do so, if found guilty will be fined or made to serve a term of imprisonment or both.

“The new Act 1061 of 2021 made motor third party insurance and the workmen’s compensation insurance compulsory”.

Mr. Attrickie charged the industry players to be united; “a united front to step out and reach out to all sector of society to discuss insurance and social development issues, which affected society.”

He called on the insurance companies to cooperate and raise the consciousness of society to their rights in order that they will be able to ensure that employers did not joke with the lives of the employers.

According to Mr. Attrickie, Government in addition to Civil Society Organisations and other stakeholders could use the media more effectively as an instrument for social change, and said, the media is a powerful tool, which must be used strategically for effective change towards insurance development in the country.

He called on all stakeholders and citizenry to trust insurance companies as is simply indispensable part of life.