By Iddi Yire, GNA
Accra, May 11, GNA – Mrs Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, the Administrator of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (Mahamacares) has announced that the Fund’s Patient Support Programme will initially be delivered strategically through 29 Hospitals across the country to ensure equitable access for all Ghanaians.
Mrs Darko-Opoku made the disclosure during the Government Accountability Series Press Conference at the Presidency in Accra.
The designated Hospitals include Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Komfo Hospital Anokye Teaching Hospital, Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, Tamale Teaching Hospital, Ho Teaching Hospital, Sunyani Teaching Hospital and Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital.
The rest would be the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Eastern Regional Hospital, Winneba Trauma and Specialist Hospital, Volta Regional Hospital, Kumasi South Hospital, Northern Regional Hospital Teaching Hospital, Upper West Regional Hospital and Upper East Regional Hospital.
The rest are Sefwi-Wiawso Government Hospital, Goaso Municipal Hospital, Bole Municipal Hospital, Worawora Government Hospital, Holy Family Hospital – Techiman, Baptist Medical Centre, the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC), 37 Military Hospital, International Maritime Hospital, The Bank Hospital, Trust Specialist Hospital and Aisha Hospital.
The Administrator said to benefit from support under the Trust Fund; an applicant must meet three basic eligibility requirements.
“The applicant must be a Ghanaian citizen, an active NHIS card bearer, and must have a medical condition that falls within the approved conditions supported under the Fund.” The Administrator said.
“It is important to clarify that patients can’t walk directly into the Secretariat to request for support. The process is digital and dignified.”
She noted that applications were initiated by specialist clinicians at their enlisted Hospitals via a dedicated digital platform.
Mrs Darko-Opoku said the Fund would officially commence a nationwide patient support programme official in June.
She noted that before that, the Board of Trustees of the Mahamacares Fund approved a pilot phase involving 50 patients in the month of February.
This, Mrs Darko-Opoku said, allowed the Fund to test their systems of patient onboarding, treatment monitoring, and claims management.
The Administrator noted that these beneficiaries, drawn from across the country, received support for heart surgeries, brain surgeries, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and orthopaedic surgeries.
Mrs Darko-Opoku said over GH¢4.8 million had been expended in the treatment of these patients so far.
She said beneficiaries ranged from six months to 85 years, treated across 11 Hospitals.
Mrs Darko-Opoku said the breakdown included the construction of three state-of-the-art Cardiology Centres at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, and Tamale Teaching Hospital, in strategic partnership with the Ministry of Health.
These centres she said were being designed to significantly expand Ghana’s national capacity for cardiology and vascular interventions.
She said they would include catheterisation laboratories, hybrid theatres, recovery wards, intensive care units, consulting rooms, dedicated oxygen systems, onsite pharmacies, and investigation laboratories.
Mrs Darko-Opoku said the Trust Fund had also facilitated the distribution of critical medical equipment including dialysis machines, ICU beds, and patient monitors to Sunyani Teaching Hospital, Holy Family Hospital in Techiman, and the Volta Regional Hospital in Hohoe.
With regards to the training of medical specialists, Mrs Darko-Opoku said the Trust Fund had entered into strategic partnerships with the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons to expand specialist training centres, and decentralised postgraduate medical education nationwide.
In launching the Mahamacares Fund in April 2025, President John Dramani Mahama donated his six months salaries to the Mahamacares Funds.
This bold step, which was in fulfillment of the President’s campaign promise, was aimed at relieving the financial burden of sufferers of chronic diseases.
Subsequently, the President encouraged his appointees to donate one month salary each to the Fund.
He then ordered appointees who defaulted on his first deadline for Asset declaration to forfeit three months’ salary to be donated to the Fund
The Controller and Accountant- General has so far deducted and transferred a total of GHS 6.1 million to the Fund pursuant to the President’s directive.
GNA
Edited by Linda Asante Agyei