The Omanhene of the Oguaa Traditional Area, Osbarima Kwasi Atta II, has thrown his weight behind the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF), describing its interventions as a powerful source of hope for the future of healthcare delivery in Ghana.
The Omanhene said the establishment of the Fund and the work it was undertaking to expand access to specialised healthcare represented some of the most encouraging developments he had heard about in a long time.
“There is hope for the future,” Osbarima Kwasi Atta II declared when the Administrator of the GMTF, Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, paid a courtesy call on him in Cape Coast.
The meeting formed part of the second day of the Fund’s sensitisation tour of the Central Region, which is aimed at taking the GMTF’s mandate, interventions and message to communities and key stakeholders across the country.
‘I will help spread the message’
The Oguaa Omanhene pledged the support of traditional authorities in promoting awareness of the GMTF and ensuring that information about its interventions reached people who needed help.
He said traditional leaders had a critical role to play in connecting communities to initiatives capable of improving their lives, particularly vulnerable families who might not know where to turn when confronted with serious medical conditions.
“I will help spread the message,” Osbarima Kwasi Atta II assured the Administrator, adding that he was ready to support efforts to ensure that more people became aware of the Fund and its interventions.
He also urged the management of the GMTF not to be distracted by criticism or opposition, but to remain focused on its mandate and the lives it had been established to improve.
He said initiatives designed to bring relief to Ghanaians facing difficult circumstances deserved support and encouragement.
Praise for President Mahama
The Omanhene expressed appreciation to President John Dramani Mahama for the vision behind the establishment of the GMTF, saying the initiative had the potential to make a significant difference in the lives of families struggling with serious illnesses and the financial burden of specialised treatment.
He said the Fund offered renewed hope to people who might otherwise be overwhelmed by the cost of accessing critical healthcare.
The endorsement by the Oguaa Omanhene adds the voice of traditional leadership to the GMTF’s growing stakeholder support as the Fund intensifies its nationwide sensitisation campaign.
The campaign seeks to deepen public understanding of the Fund’s mandate and interventions while ensuring that Ghanaians, particularly those living with chronic and serious diseases, know where and how to seek support.
The courtesy call on the Oguaa Omanhene was one of several stakeholder engagements undertaken by the GMTF Administrator and her team during the Central Regional leg of the tour.
