By Ewoenam Kpodo, GNA
Ho, Oct 13, GNA- Mr James Gunu, Volta Regional Minister has called for strong stakeholder collaboration to ensure successful implementation of Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF) to guarantee equitable access to specialised healthcare for all Ghanaians.
Speaking at a Volta Regional Stakeholder Engagement in Ho, he said the Fund, popularly known as Mahama Cares, was established to address a painful reality where families were forced to exhaust their savings, borrow money or sell productive assets to treat chronic and life-threatening illnesses.
He noted that while quality healthcare was fundamental to human development, Universal Health Coverage (UHC) – every individual having access to the healthcare they need without suffering financial hardship at the point of use, could not be achieved by only providing facilities and health professionals, but by ensuring that people could actually afford the treatment they needed.
Mr Gunu said the intervention, designed to protect vulnerable groups, especially in rural and hard-to-reach communities including in the Volta Region who faced challenges of distance, cost and delayed diagnosis needed collaboration from all stakeholders.
He stressed that the success of the Fund would hinge on public awareness, transparent administration, fair access to benefits and effective mobilisation of resources, thus, charging all actors to play their part.
The Minister urged health professionals to eliminate avoidable administrative bottlenecks, metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to support public education, and traditional and religious leaders to build community confidence.
He also called on community health workers to provide reliable guidance, and civil society and the media to promote transparency and accountability.
Addressing concerns about trust, Mr Gunu emphasised the need for the Fund to maintain accessible feedback and complaint channels and apply its eligibility criteria fairly and consistently to protect “patients from exploitation and false promises.”
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC) to work closely with the GMTF to promote awareness and ensure the initiative made the difference in the lives of people especially those yet to access treatment.
Dr Hintermann Mbroh, Chief Executive Officer, Ho Teaching Hospital pledged the hospital’s readiness to deepen collaboration with the Fund, the VRCC and all stakeholders to deliver the important national initiative.
He observed that for many patients living with cancer, kidney disease, cardiovascular conditions and other chronic non-communicable diseases, the cost of specialised care remained a major barrier and therefore, the Fund offered hope to patients and families who would otherwise struggle to afford life-saving care.
Dr Mbroh called for a collective effort, saying a “patient experiences the system and the care that we give” and not policy documents, stressing “Our success will not be measured by the resources committed, but by what these resources do in making a difference in the lives of our patients.”
Together, we can give practical meaning to our Ho Teaching Hospital motto: Save a Life, Save the World.”
The Ghana Medical Trust Fund, established under the Ghana Medical Trust Fund Act, 2025 (Act 1144), is undertaking nationwide regional stakeholder engagements and public sensitisation tours led by its Administrator, Madam Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku to educate the public, traditional leaders, religious groups and health workers on the Fund’s mandate and how to access support.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah /Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Ewoenam Kpodo, GNA