By Iddi Yire, GNA
Accra, June 15, GNA – Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, Deputy Chief of Staff at the Presidency in-charge of Finance and Administration, has on behalf of the government, presented a cheque of GH¢6.1 million to the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (MahamaCares).
The amount is in fulfilment of a commitment made by President John Dramani Mahama at the launch of the MahamaCares on 29th April, 2025, to donate six months of his basic salary and leading Government appointees in contributing one month of their basic salaries to support the initiative.
This bold step, which is in fulfillment of the President’s campaign promise, is aimed at relieving the financial burden of sufferers of chronic diseases.
The Controller and Accountant-General has already transferred GH₵6.1 million to the MahamaCares comprising the President’s salary donation, contributions as Presidential appointees and staffers, and deductions from those who failed to meet the asset declaration deadline.
Nana Oye Bampoe Addo in her remarks at a presentation ceremony, which was held at the Presidency in Accra, said history had shown that, “time and again, that when a leader chooses to make healthcare personal, truly personal lives were transformed at scale.”
She said when the United States President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law in 2010, a law that came to bear his name, the critics were loud; stating that, however, the numbers silenced them.
She said the Affordable Care Act extended health coverage to more than 40 million Americans.
Nana Oye Bampoe Addo said studies later found it saved at least nineteen thousand lives in the four years after Medicaid expansion.
“People called it “just a policy,” but to the woman who could finally afford her cancer screening, it was a lifeline.
She said on the April 29th, 2025, President Mahama launched the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (MahamaCares) to address the gap, designed to cover treatment costs for non-communicable diseases not fully provided for under the National Health Insurance Scheme: cancers, cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney failure; requiring dialysis, stroke, diabetes, hypertension, and sickle cell disease.
She said the Fund required approximately three billion Ghana cedis annually over its initial three years.
“What moved all of us most deeply was what the President did next. He did not just launch a fund and leave the room. He pledged six months of his own salary as seed funding.” She stated.
“He then turned to us, his appointees and invited us in the spirit of the Reset Agenda, in the spirit of leadership as sacrifice, to contribute our one month salaries to the Fund.
“Our President showed the way and colleagues, we followed with a patriotic answer.”
Nana Oye Bampoe Addo said these salary donations came with real sacrifices; saying, “Bills had to wait.” plans that had to be deferred. Commitments that had to be renegotiated. We knew the cost, and we paid it anyway.”
She said every cedi they were presenting to the MahamaCares would go a long way towards putting a smile on someone’s face who had been waiting for it.
“It will fund a cancer patient’s next round of chemotherapy. It will pay for a dialysis session for someone whose family has run out of options. It will buy time and sometimes, time bought becomes saved lives,” she said.
Mrs Obuobia Opoku-Darko, Managing Director of the MahamaCares, in receiving the cheque expressed gratitude to President Mahama, Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang and all political appointees of President for their remarkable act of generosity.
“Your donation of one month’s basic salary to the Trust Fund and the President’s six months’ basic salary to us demonstrates leadership, empathy and solidarity with those living with chronic disease. It is more than a financial contribution,” she said.
She reiterated that every donation had a human story, a mother affording chemotherapy, a father facing prostate cancer costs or a family mode-gaging land for their child’s surgery.
GNA
Edited by Linda Asante Agyei