By Philip Tengzu, GNA
Wa (UW/R), Nov. 12, GNA – Mr Charles Lwanga Puozuing, the Upper West Regional Minister, has described the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF) as a significant intervention to ease the financial burden on people living with chronic non-communicable diseases in the region.
He said the initiative would improve access to specialised healthcare for people with conditions such as cancer, kidney and cardiovascular diseases.
Mr Puozuing, who said this at Wa, observed that the initiative came at a critical time when non-communicable diseases imposed considerable financial, social and emotional burdens on individuals and their families.
Representatives of health professionals, traditional authorities, religious leaders, civil society organisations and students, among others, attended the engagement.
The Minister was speaking at the Ghana Medical Trust Fund regional stakeholders’ engagement and town hall meeting aimed at, among others, promoting public awareness of the Trust Fund and its support for eligible persons in the region.
Mr Puozuing said the high cost of diagnosis, specialist consultations, treatment and continued medical care for such conditions had overwhelmed many households, threatened their livelihoods and pushed vulnerable families into financial hardship.
He, however, said with the inception of the GMTF, “No Ghanaian should be left without hope of accessing essential medical care, simply because the cost is too high.”
The Minister said the region must ensure that the initiative translates into tangible benefits for the people, stressing the need for extensive public education to inform the deserving populace, particularly on how to access the support.
He said particular attention must be paid to vulnerable people in remote communities who might have limited access to reliable information, specialist health services and the administrative support required to access available interventions.
Ms Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, the Administrator of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund Secretariat, said the initiative would focus not only on providing financial assistance to eligible patients but also on improving the capacity of health facilities to diagnose and treat those chronic conditions.
She said the establishment of the Trust Fund was driven by the vision of President John Dramani Mahama to provide relief to people living with chronic non-communicable diseases, especially those with financial difficulties in accessing specialised medical care.
“Our responsibility also extends to hospitals, equipment and health professionals that the patients depend on,” she added.
Ms. Darko-Opoku identified four key pillars underpinning the operations of the Trust Fund – financial support, equipment and infrastructure development, specialist training, and research and innovation.
She said the four pillars were interconnected and ultimately aimed at ensuring that patients received the care they needed without unnecessary delays or difficulties.
Dr Philip Baabiineh, the Acting Medical Director, Upper West Regional Hospital, said the intervention was timely, given the increasing number of chronic non-communicable diseases-related deaths at the facility.
He observed that renal, cardiovascular, and liver-related conditions had become major causes of mortality at the hospital, raising concerns about the growing burden of such diseases in the region.
Some beneficiaries of the GMTF shared their experiences in accessing the Fund’s support and how it helped them receive care and treatment.
GNA
Reporter: Philip Tengzu, GNA
Reporter’s email: [email protected]