'Help us save lives' - GMTF boss appeals to corporate Ghana to rescue Ridge Hospital

The Administrator of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF), Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, has issued an urgent appeal to corporate Ghana and individual citizens to step in and help save lives at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital).

Ridge Hospital is one of Ghana’s major referral centres, serving nearly 1,000 patients every single day, with 200 admissions, yet, despite the overwhelming demand, the facility lacks critical diagnostic equipment such as CT scanners, MRI machines, mammography and fluoroscopy units.

These tools are essential for detecting and treating life-threatening conditions.

“These are not luxuries. They are fundamental tools required for timely and accurate diagnosis of non-communicable diseases, trauma cases, obstetric emergencies, and other complex medical conditions,” Obuobia Darko-Opoku stated in a recent interaction.

This was ahead of the GMTF's official rollout in April 2026.

Ahead of this, the GMTF administrator visited Ridge Hospital to assess the facility's readiness since it will be one of the institutions the trust fund will be working directly with.

After the tour, she delivered a sobering warning, stating, "The cost of inaction will be catastrophic.”

The assessment showed that while Ridge Hospital carries a heavy national burden, its capacity to respond is being dangerously stretched by non-funtioning equipment.

As February is the month of love, Obuobia Darko-Opoku used the opportunity to call on corporate Ghana to channel part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) budgets toward retooling the hospital and urging ordinary Ghanaians not to look away.

“Please, this is critical. Let’s all come together and support. Help us retool Ridge Hospital. You have no idea when you or a loved one, a colleague, a friend, may need its services. This is too serious to ignore,” she added.

The Medical Director of Ridge Hospital, Dr Leslie Adam-Zakaria, on behalf of management, expressed deep gratitude to the Ghana Medical Trust Fund for championing the push to bring the facility closer to the standard it strives to achieve.

Retooling Ridge Hospital, the GMTF insists, is not an upgrade, but a necessity.

"It is about shortening the dangerous gap between diagnosis and treatment, and ensuring that when people turn to the hospital for help, help is truly available," the medical director added.

The Ghana Medical Trust Fund, an initiative of President John Dramani Mahama, was established to provide financial support for Ghanaians battling serious and costly chronic illnesses such as cancer, kidney failure, and heart diseases, conditions not fully covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

Beyond patient support, the fund seeks to strengthen health infrastructure, bridge gaps in specialised care, and prevent families from being pushed into poverty simply because a loved one fell ill.