The Administrator of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF), popularly known as the MahamaCares Initiative, has announced that the Fund’s nationwide patient support programme will officially begin in June 2026, marking a major milestone in Ghana’s healthcare delivery system.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series at the Presidency on Monday, the Administrator of the fund, Adjoa Obuobia Opoku – Darko said, the initiative was established to ensure that no Ghanaian is denied life-saving specialised healthcare because of financial constraints.
According to the Administrator, chronic non-communicable diseases account for 43 per cent of all deaths in Ghana, with many families struggling to afford treatment for conditions such as cancer, kidney disease, cardiovascular illnesses, stroke and diabetes.
The Fund, established under Act 1144 of 2025, is financed through 20 per cent of the National Health Insurance Levy, government allocations, grants, investments and voluntary contributions from individuals and institutions.
President John Dramani Mahama was commended for donating six months of his salary to support the initiative, while government appointees and private organisations have also contributed to the Fund.
The Administrator explained that the GMTF complements the work of the National Health Insurance Authority by focusing on specialised tertiary-level care, infrastructure investment, specialist training and medical research.
Since the Secretariat became operational in September 2025, the Fund has undertaken a nationwide assessment of 21 health facilities, revealing severe shortages in specialised healthcare infrastructure. The assessment found only two MRI machines and five mammogram machines across all assessed facilities, while Ghana currently has just two public-sector radiotherapy machines and one private-sector machine, all located in Accra and Kumasi.
To address these gaps, the Fund has initiated the construction of three cardiology centres at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and Tamale Teaching Hospital in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. The centres are expected to improve Ghana’s capacity for advanced cardiology and vascular interventions.
The Trust Fund has also distributed dialysis machines, ICU beds and patient monitors to facilities including Sunyani Teaching Hospital, Holy Family Hospital and the Volta Regional Hospital
On specialist healthcare training, 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 doctors, pharmacists and nurses in oncology, cardiology, nephrology and related fields. The Fund has invested more than GH¢36 million into the programme.
Madam Darko – Opoku disclosed that a pilot phase involving 50 patients was conducted in February 2026 to test systems for patient onboarding and claims management. More than GH¢4.8 million has so far been spent on treatments including heart surgeries, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and brain surgeries for beneficiaries aged between six months and 85 years.
Under the nationwide rollout scheduled for June, the initial benefits package will focus on cancers, including breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer and childhood cancers such as leukaemia and lymphoma. The programme will initially operate through 29 enlisted hospitals across the country
Applicants seeking support under the Fund must be Ghanaian citizens, possess an active NHIS card and have a condition covered under the approved benefits package. Applications will be initiated digitally by specialist clinicians at participating hospitals rather than directly at the Secretariat.
Looking ahead, the Administrator said the Trust Fund aims to establish comprehensive oncology and cancer centres across the country, beginning with the Greater Accra Regional Hospital as a pilot site, to improve access to advanced cancer treatment and reduce long waiting times for patients.
Story By: Eric Boateng
