Ghana Medical Trust Fund assures beneficiaries of free, covered treatment and safeguards

The Administrator of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF), has assured beneficiaries that safeguards are in place to minimise the risk of exploitation, as patients enrolled on the Fund are not required to pay for covered services, from consultations to medications and surgeries. Madam Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku said requests for treatment underwent verification at the Fund’s secretariat before approval, while specialists were required to submit patients’ medical records to support claims. Responding to a question on the potential exploitation of beneficiaries during a stakeholders’ engagement in Bolgatanga, Madam Darko-Opoku said the involvement of specialists and the verification process made it difficult for unauthorized charges to go undetected. “When you are onboarded onto the Fund, you do not have to pay anything, from consultation to your treatment pathways, to your medication, to your surgeries and everything,” she said. She added that the likelihood of exploitation was “very minimal,” while encouraging stakeholders to report any specific instances of abuse for investigation. The Administrator further urged beneficiaries to engage with the Fund’s Patient Navigators and Regional Coordinators stationed at health facilities to ensure they received the necessary support throughout their treatment. According to her, the navigators could contact beneficiaries who missed appointments and, where necessary, visit their homes to establish the reasons for their absence and offer assistance. “They go to that extent to get very personal with you so that if you have any difficulty so far as your treatment is concerned, they will be responsible for it,” Madam Darko-Opoku said. She noted that Patient Navigators were available at 10 regional hospitals and six teaching hospitals, alongside Regional Coordinators, and urged beneficiaries to identify these officers immediately after being enrolled on the Fund. Madam Darko-Opoku further dismissed concerns that the Fund, popularly known as MahamaCares, could be politicized or discontinued by a future government because of its association with President John Dramani Mahama. She explained that MahamaCares was a popular nickname, while the institution’s official name remained the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, established by an Act of Parliament. She expressed confidence that the Fund’s relevance to healthcare delivery would ensure its continuity beyond the current administration, “It is an Act of Parliament, so it is not one that another government will come and say because Mahama’s name is on it, I have wished it away,” she said. The Administrator emphasised that access to treatment under the Fund was based on medical needs rather than political affiliation, noting that specialists enrolled and treated eligible patients without requiring them to disclose their political party membership. “When it comes to our health, politics does not play any role in there. Because if you deal with politics with your health, you will die,” she said. She described the Fund as one of the significant legacies President Mahama could leave the country, citing its support for the treatment of prostate cancer, which she said had not previously received such coverage under a national initiative of that kind. On expansion of specialist healthcare, Madam Darko-Opoku said the Fund was supporting the development of three cardiology centres, including one at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, which she said had performed more than 160 procedures within three months, with about 110 of them involving children. She disclosed that work on the Tamale cardiology centre, which began in February, was expected to be completed and fully equipped by December 2026, with the President expected to commission the facility. She said the centre would improve access to specialized cardiac care for residents of northern Ghana, including those in the Upper East Region, who would otherwise have to travel to Kumasi or Accra for such services. “Until we can put one here, at least it is closer than going to Komfo Anokye or Accra,” she said. She indicated that the Fund was currently financed through an allocation of 20 per cent of the National Health Insurance Levy and would account to Parliament for its performance as part of the budgetary process. She expressed optimism that the Fund’s achievements would inform future decisions on whether to maintain the existing funding arrangement or establish a direct source of funding to support its operations. Madam Darko-Opoku urged members of the public to learn about the Fund and share accurate information with their communities, churches and mosques to ensure that eligible patients benefited from the initiative