The Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF) has provided life-saving financial support to seven critically ill Ghanaians as part of its pilot programme, ahead of the official nationwide rollout.
The emergency interventions, spearheaded by the Fund’s Administrator, Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, have covered high-cost surgeries and treatments for patients suffering from congenital heart defects, ischaemic heart disease, neurosurgical conditions and a brain aneurysm.
Among the beneficiaries at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital Cardiothoracic Centre are two babies under two years old and a four-year-old child requiring hole-in-heart surgeries. The Fund presented a cheque of GH₵447,000 to fully settle the medical bills for Nadiya Borenasa Mahama, Eldad Ayilaka and Haalid Ofori-Ibrahim.
An additional GH₵198,000 was disbursed to enable 12-year-old Queena Yen Dobil and 53-year-old David Yeboah to undergo urgent neurosurgeries at the hospital’s surgical department.
At the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC), the Trust Fund cleared the full medical bill of GH₵25,750 for 25-year-old Aminu Taibu, who had been diagnosed with ischaemic heart disease and required immediate surgical intervention.
In another case at Euracare Spring Hospital, 36-year-old midwife Rebecca Odarquaye received full payment of GH₵210,840 for brain surgery to treat a life-threatening aneurysm. Her condition had been publicly highlighted by JoyNews after she appealed for support to continue her work caring for expectant mothers. Doctors had stressed that only prompt surgery could save her life.
The Ghana Medical Trust Fund, an initiative of President John Dramani Mahama popularly referred to as “Mahama Cares,” was established to provide financial assistance for severe, high-cost chronic illnesses such as cancer, kidney failure and heart disease — conditions not adequately covered under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
Although the Fund is yet to be formally launched nationwide, Ms Darko-Opoku announced the commencement of a 50-case pilot programme, with three critically ill patients selected from each region to ensure equitable regional representation.
“We want to ensure regional balance. That is why we have tasked CEOs and Medical Directors of specialized health facilities across the country to submit details of patients with critical conditions. The Fund will pay their medical bills in full to give them another chance at life,” she explained.
The Administrator described the initiative as a beacon of hope for Ghanaians facing unaffordable medical expenses.
“The Fund exists to ensure that no Ghanaian suffers or dies simply because they cannot afford critical medical care,” she stated.
Ms Darko-Opoku expressed gratitude to President Mahama for establishing the Trust Fund and appealed to the public for continued support, noting that sustained national contributions would be essential to expanding its reach and impact in the coming months.