Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has restated the government’s dedication to broadening initiatives that treat people with non-communicable diseases, or NCDs. These are long-term health conditions like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases. The Vice President visited the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF) in Accra recently. She learned about its work, its problems, and its successes. This visit is part of the government’s larger review of important social programs. These programs, including MahamaCares, aim to help vulnerable people get better healthcare.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang explained that the meetings help the government watch over the Fund more closely. They also help assess how well programs are working to lessen health costs for citizens. NCDs often create large money and emotional worries for patients, their families, and the health system. This shows why continuous government help is very important. "People do not choose to be ill, but when illness strikes, people need care and support. That is where government must step in, and that is exactly what MahamaCares seeks to do," she stated.
A small test program was run in February. It helped 50 patients. This test checked the Fund’s systems, including its digital tools and how it responds to needs. The test was successful. However, it also showed how costly NCD treatment can be. The pilot alone cost about GHS 4.8 million for the cases treated. "That figure alone demonstrates how expensive care for NCDs can be and why sustainable government intervention is necessary," the Vice President added.
All teaching hospitals in Ghana now use the Fund’s digital system. Regional hospitals are also expected to join soon. This will allow patients from all over the country to be registered. This step will help create fairer access to care. It will also lower the financial risk for patients needing special treatment. The government is also putting money into new cardiology centers. These are being built at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, and Tamale Teaching Hospital. The Korle Bu facility is being rebuilt after fire damage. Work at Komfo Anokye and Tamale hospitals is moving forward well.
These new centers are more than just places for heart procedures. They are full cardiology centers. They work like one-stop shops. They have special operating rooms, doctor’s offices, pharmacies, intensive care units, and oxygen plants. Patients will be able to get all their treatment in one place. They will not need to be moved between different hospitals. MahamaCares focuses strongly on preventing diseases first. It also supports primary care, research, and training. This is especially important for handling long-term and childhood diseases. The government is also looking at things that cause disease. These include diet, the environment, and lifestyle choices. This helps to make prevention strategies stronger.
The Vice President also stressed the need to train health workers, such as biomedical technicians. This training is needed to keep medical equipment working well and for a long time. "Too often, machines break down simply because there are no trained technicians to maintain them. This must change if our investments in health infrastructure are to be sustainable," she said. Madam Obuobia Darko-Opoku, Administrator of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, said that creating the Fund’s rules and signing up patients are ongoing. A big challenge is making sure the public knows about the scheme. Many people do not yet fully understand what the program offers or who can use it. Madam Darko-Opoku thanked the Vice President for her visit. She called it a sign of the government’s commitment to protect citizens from very high medical bills.