The Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF) has intensified efforts to build nationwide support for its mandate by engaging Regional Ministers ahead of a series of stakeholder engagements aimed at educating the public about the Fund and expanding access to healthcare for patients battling chronic diseases.
The high-level meeting, held at the Jubilee House, brought together the leadership of the Trust Fund and Regional Ministers from across the country to discuss the Fund’s objectives and the role regional administrations will play in ensuring its success.
Addressing the gathering, the Administrator of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, stressed the need for strong collaboration to ensure that information about the initiative reaches every district and community.
She noted that public awareness remains critical to ensuring that eligible patients benefit from the Fund and urged the ministers to spearhead advocacy efforts within their regions by engaging traditional authorities, religious leaders, local government officials, health institutions, civil society organisations and the media.
According to her, the upcoming regional stakeholder engagements will introduce the Fund to communities across the country and explain its mandate of providing financial assistance to Ghanaians suffering from chronic and life-threatening non-communicable diseases.
Deputy Chief of Staff, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo on her part, described the Ghana Medical Trust Fund as one of President John Mahama’s most significant social interventions, aimed at reducing the financial burden on thousands of Ghanaians living with non-communicable diseases.
She called on the Regional Ministers to champion the initiative and mobilise support from stakeholders, stressing that its success would depend largely on public awareness and collective participation.
“The President has demonstrated remarkable foresight with this initiative. It has the potential to transform the lives of countless Ghanaians who are struggling to afford treatment for chronic illnesses,” she stated.
Nana Oye Bampoe Addo further urged the ministers to ensure that citizens fully understand the purpose of the Fund and how it can improve lives.
Deputy Minister for Health, Prof. Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah, also appealed to the Regional Ministers to throw their full support behind the initiative, describing it as a major step towards improving healthcare access for vulnerable patients.
She noted that government alone could not achieve the objectives of the Fund without the active participation of citizens, communities and institutions, and called on Ghanaians to help spread awareness about its benefits.
The Ghana Medical Trust Fund is expected to embark on an extensive nationwide stakeholder engagement campaign in the coming weeks as it seeks to build partnerships and ensure that no eligible Ghanaian is denied life-saving treatment because of financial constraints.
The regional engagements will bring together traditional leaders, faith-based organisations, healthcare providers, civil society organisations and the media to strengthen public understanding and support for the initiative, which has emerged as one of the government’s flagship interventions in the fight against non-communicable diseases.
