GMTF targets critical healthcare gaps with new cardiac, cancer and diagnostic projects

The Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF) is shifting its focus from paying patients’ medical bills to addressing structural gaps that limit access to specialised healthcare.

The Fund is investing in cardiac centres in Kumasi and Tamale, a planned comprehensive cancer facility at Korle Bu and a US$10 million Diagnostic and Imaging Centre at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital.

Administrator of the GMTF, Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, said the interventions were informed by a nationwide assessment of the country’s healthcare needs.

The assessment examined equipment shortages, specialist gaps, patients’ experiences, distances travelled for treatment and waiting times, among other challenges.

Speaking at an event organised by the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), Mrs Darko-Opoku said the findings showed that financial assistance alone could not resolve the difficulties facing patients with chronic and non-communicable diseases.

The Fund’s strategy is built around financial assistance, medical equipment and infrastructure, specialist training and research into non-communicable diseases.

“Funding treatment does not help much without the right equipment. Equipment is not useful without trained specialists, and ongoing care needs research to help us learn and improve,” she said.

Following the fire at the National Cardiothoracic Centre at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, the GMTF supported the rebuilding and expansion of the cardiac catheterisation laboratory.

It is now extending specialist cardiac care to other parts of the country, with new catheterisation centres under construction at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and Tamale Teaching Hospital.

The Fund expects to fully equip, commission and operationalise the two facilities by the end of the year.

At Korle Bu, the GMTF is also pursuing a comprehensive Oncology and Nuclear Medicine Centre in partnership with private investors.

The planned facility will include a PET-CT scanner, linear accelerators, MRI and CT scanners, and a chemotherapy suite.

The aim is to bring cancer diagnosis, advanced imaging, treatment and nuclear medicine together within the public health system.

The Greater Accra Regional Hospital is also expected to receive a major diagnostic boost through a US$10 million facility funded by the KGL Group.

The proposed Diagnostic and Imaging Centre will provide MRI, CT scan, mammography, digital X-ray and fluoroscopy services.

Mrs Darko-Opoku said the site had been secured and preparatory work was underway.

The GMTF is also seeking to address the persistent problem of medical equipment becoming dysfunctional after installation.

She said the Fund would maintain responsibility for equipment and infrastructure it provides, with systems for servicing and maintenance.

The Fund is also using its needs assessment to determine where donated medical equipment should go, rather than distributing equipment without considering actual demand.

Beyond infrastructure, the GMTF is investing in specialist training. It has partnered with professional colleges with an ambition to ensure every region has at least 10 specialists within the next few years.

Meanwhile, the Fund continues to support patients directly through GMTF Care, a digital platform for registration, case management, approvals, claims and payments.

More than 500 patients have been onboarded to the platform so far, following a pilot involving 50 patients from across the country.

Corporate Ghana is also supporting the initiative. SSNIT is procuring a 64-slice CT scanner and mammography machine, while the Ghana Gold Board has pledged an MRI machine.

Mrs Darko-Opoku appealed for more partnerships with state-owned enterprises, private companies and development partners.

“It is about whether a Ghanaian with a non-communicable disease can get the care they need without feeling left behind. It is about having the right equipment, the right specialist nearby, and affordable treatment,” she said.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.