The Asogli State has welcomed the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF), popularly known as Mahama Cares, describing it as a promising initiative to improve access to specialised healthcare while urging authorities to ensure transparency and accountability in the management of its resources.
Speaking on behalf of the Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, Togbe Kasa III said the Fund could help bridge gaps in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and ease the financial burden on patients who struggle to afford essential medical treatment.
He, however, cautioned against the misuse of the Fund’s resources, stressing that its primary purpose must be to address the healthcare needs of Ghanaians.
“The Fund should not be created for people to go and loot and share, but to take care of the healthcare needs of the population,” he said.
Togbe Kasa III made the remarks when the GMTF Administrator, Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, paid a courtesy call on chiefs of the Asogli State as part of the Fund’s Volta Regional sensitisation tour.
He commended the Administrator and her team for engaging traditional authorities in public education on the Fund’s mandate, noting that such engagements were important for building public awareness, trust and support.
He expressed optimism that Mahama Cares would complement the NHIS by expanding access to specialised medical services, particularly for people living with serious medical conditions who cannot afford the cost of treatment.
According to him, the Fund’s success should be measured by its ability to improve access to healthcare and reduce the financial pressures faced by families dealing with serious illnesses.
In response, Ms Darko-Opoku thanked the chiefs for receiving the delegation and emphasised the need to intensify public education on the Fund across the country.
She explained that the sensitisation exercise was designed to help Ghanaians understand the Fund’s objectives, the support available to beneficiaries and the processes for accessing its interventions.
The Administrator noted that public education must extend beyond institutions to communities, especially those where residents may be unaware of the specialised healthcare assistance available to them.
She added that collaboration with traditional authorities and other community leaders was essential to ensuring that accurate information reached more people.
The courtesy call formed part of the GMTF’s Volta Regional sensitisation tour, which seeks to strengthen stakeholder collaboration and raise awareness of the Fund’s interventions.
The Ghana Medical Trust Fund was established to support the prevention and treatment of non-communicable diseases, expand access to specialised medical care and strengthen the training of specialist health professionals.
