The Administrator of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF), Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, has issued an urgent appeal to Corporate Ghana and individual citizens to support efforts to equip the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital) with critical diagnostic equipment.
Ridge Hospital serves as one of Ghana’s major referral centres, attending to nearly 1,000 patients daily and admitting around 200 inpatients. Despite this high demand, the facility lacks essential diagnostic tools including CT scanners, MRI machines, mammography units, and fluoroscopy equipment. These tools are vital for detecting and managing non-communicable diseases, trauma cases, obstetric emergencies, and other complex conditions.
“These are not luxuries,” Ms. Obuobia Darko-Opoku stressed. “They are fundamental tools required for timely and accurate diagnosis of non-communicable diseases, trauma cases, obstetric emergencies, and other complex medical conditions.”
The appeal follows a recent visit by the GMTF Administrator to Ridge Hospital to assess its readiness ahead of the Fund’s official rollout scheduled for April 2026. Ridge Hospital is expected to be among the key institutions the Trust Fund will collaborate with directly.
“The cost of inaction will be catastrophic,” she cautioned after the assessment, which highlighted how the hospital’s capacity is being dangerously stretched by non-functioning or absent equipment.
With February designated as a month of love, Ms. Obuobia Darko-Opoku urged corporate organisations to allocate portions of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) budgets toward retooling the hospital. She also called on ordinary Ghanaians to contribute.
“Please, this is critical,” she pleaded. “Let’s all come together and support. Help us retool Ridge Hospital. You have no idea when you—or a loved one, a colleague, a friend—may need its services. This is too serious to ignore.”
The Medical Director of Ridge Hospital, Dr. Leslie Adam-Zakaria, expressed gratitude to the Ghana Medical Trust Fund for championing the initiative to elevate the facility’s standards.
Retooling Ridge Hospital, according to the GMTF, is not merely an upgrade but a necessity to reduce delays in diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients receive timely and effective care.
Established as an initiative of President John Dramani Mahama, the Ghana Medical Trust Fund provides financial assistance to Ghanaians facing serious chronic illnesses such as cancer, kidney failure, and heart disease, conditions often not fully covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
Beyond direct patient support, the Fund aims to strengthen health infrastructure, bridge gaps in specialised care, and protect families from financial hardship caused by medical expenses.
