President John Dramani Mahama has commissioned a state-of-the-art Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan facility at the Sweden Ghana Medical Centre (SGMC) in Accra, describing the development as a major milestone in Ghana’s healthcare transformation agenda.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, President Mahama said the facility marks “the beginning of a new chapter in Ghana’s healthcare journey,” anchored on innovation, accessibility and scientific advancement.
“Today’s event marks the beginning of a new chapter in Ghana’s healthcare journey. One that is anchored in innovation, accessibility, scientific advancement and renewed hope for our people,” he stated.
The President noted that the PET scan technology would significantly improve early detection and treatment of cancers and other complex medical conditions.
“While conventional imaging technologies enable us to view the structure of the human body, PET technology goes several steps further by helping medical professionals understand how the body functions at the cellular and metabolic levels,” he explained.
According to him, the facility would reduce the need for Ghanaians to travel abroad for advanced medical diagnostics, a situation he said has imposed enormous financial and emotional burdens on families.
“For far too long, many Ghanaians requiring advanced diagnosis services of this nature have had to travel abroad, often at an enormous financial, emotional and psychological cost to them and their families,” he said.
President Mahama further expressed optimism that Ghana could become a medical hub within the West African sub-region.
“Today we make a bold national statement that this facility must not only make it unnecessary for Ghanaians to seek such services abroad but also make Ghana a hub for specialist medical services in our West African sub-region,” he stated.
“I envision people coming from Côte d’Ivoire, from Nigeria, from Togo, from Burkina Faso and the AES states to come and seek specialist medical diagnosis here at the SGMC,” he added.
The President also announced that the facility would be incorporated into the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, popularly known as MahamaCares, to support cancer patients seeking treatment.
“This facility will be registered under the MahamaCares Fund as one of the recognised oncology centres for the treatment of cancer patients and so cancer patients who come here for treatment will be covered under the Ghana Medical Trust Fund,” he disclosed.
President Mahama commended the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) for its investment in healthcare infrastructure, describing the initiative as visionary and patriotic.
“GNAT has demonstrated that its commitment to teachers extends beyond advocacy and labour concerns to include their overall health, their dignity and their well-being,” he said.
He recalled visiting the facility years ago during its early stages alongside former President John Agyekum Kufuor and praised GNAT for expanding the centre after acquiring it around 2020.
Beyond healthcare, President Mahama used the occasion to outline several government initiatives aimed at improving teacher welfare and educational infrastructure.
He clarified that government is implementing two separate teacher housing schemes, including the “Teacher Dabre” initiative, which seeks to provide accommodation for teachers directly on school campuses.
“We want to make sure that when teachers go to a school, they are able to get accommodation to live on the campus rather than commute from town to school every day,” he explained.
The President also announced plans for a three-billion-cedi housing fund in partnership with GNAT, Republic Bank, the State Housing Company and the Tema Development Corporation to provide affordable mortgages for teachers and other professionals.
“The houses will be designated in cedis, not in dollars,” he noted, adding that beneficiaries would pay through salary deductions over an extended period.
On education, President Mahama revealed that government had secured a $300 million World Bank facility under the STARR-J initiative to improve secondary education infrastructure nationwide.
“The STARR-J project is going to assist Ghana government achieve its target of bringing an end to double track in our secondary school system by next year,” he announced.
“By 2027 there should be no secondary school implementing a double track system in Ghana,” he stressed.
He added that teachers would benefit from continuous professional development programmes focused on digital literacy, artificial intelligence integration and modern pedagogical approaches.
President Mahama further highlighted recent reforms within the teaching service aimed at improving career progression and teacher motivation.
“At the heart of this reform is the decoupling of ranks from positions,” he explained.
“Teachers can now progress on merit, competence, experience, performance and years of dedicated service,” he added.
Concluding his remarks, President Mahama described the PET Scan facility as more than a technological advancement.
“Today’s commissioning is not merely about technology, it is about hope,” he said.
“It is about hope for early diagnosis, hope for better treatment outcomes, hope for lives saved and families preserved.”
Story: Patrick Asford Boadu
