The Ghana Medical Trust Fund says it has begun massive investments in specialist healthcare infrastructure, medical equipment, and workforce development as part of efforts to transform tertiary healthcare delivery in Ghana.
Administrator of the Fund, Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, disclosed at the Government Accountability Series in Accra that one of the Trust Fund’s biggest achievements so far is the construction of three state-of-the-art cardiology centres.
The facilities are being established at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, and Tamale Teaching Hospital in partnership with the Ministry of Health.
“These centers are being designed to significantly expand Ghana’s national capacity for cardiology and vascular interventions,” she stated.
According to her, the facilities will include catheterization laboratories, hybrid theatres, recovery wards, intensive care units, consulting rooms, dedicated oxygen systems, pharmacies, and investigative laboratories.
Mrs. Darko-Opoku also announced the distribution of critical medical equipment, including dialysis machines, ICU beds, and patient monitors, to Sunyani Teaching Hospital, Holy Family Hospital, and Volta Regional Hospital.
She explained that the equipment had initially been donated by medical supply companies before being redistributed by the Trust Fund to facilities where they were most needed.
On specialist training, the Administrator disclosed that the Fund has partnered with the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives, and the Ghana College of Pharmacists to train specialist healthcare professionals nationwide.
“We have established collaborations to train 100 specialist pharmacists and 100 nurse specialists in oncology, nephrology, cardiology, endocrinology, and neurology,” she said.
The Fund, she added, has invested more than 36 million Ghana cedis into specialist training programmes aimed at improving equitable access to healthcare across the country.
“These professionals, being trained from all regions of Ghana, will be required to serve in their local communities, ensuring that expertise is not only a city privilege,” she emphasized.
Mrs. Darko-Opoku further announced that the nationwide Patient Support Programme will officially roll out in June 2026 after a successful pilot phase involving 50 patients across the country.
The beneficiaries reportedly received support for heart surgeries, brain surgeries, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and orthopedic procedures, with over GH¢4.8 million already spent on treatment.
She revealed that the initial benefits package will focus heavily on cancers, including breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, retinoblastoma, and nephroblastoma.
The Administrator stressed that access to the programme would be digital and hospital-based.
“Patients cannot walk directly into the Secretariat to request support. Applications are initiated by specialist clinicians at enlisted hospitals via dedicated digital platforms,” she clarified.
Looking ahead, Mrs. Darko-Opoku said the Fund plans to establish at least three comprehensive cancer centres across Ghana to address the country’s severe oncology care deficit.
She noted that patients currently face long waiting periods due to limited radiotherapy infrastructure and shortages of PET scanners, MRI machines, and other advanced technologies.
“It is therefore our vision to establish comprehensive cancer centers capable of providing integrated diagnostics, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and advanced treatment modalities, including Gamma Knife systems,” she stated.
She added that the first pilot oncology centre is expected to begin at Ridge Hospital.
Mrs. Darko-Opoku described the Ghana Medical Trust Fund as more than just a healthcare financing institution.
“It represents hope for families. It represents dignity for patients. It represents government commitment to ensuring that no Ghanaian is denied life-saving specialized care simply because they cannot afford it,” she said.
She also thanked President John Dramani Mahama and Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh for their support toward the implementation of the initiative.