GMTF calls for stronger health facilities to support chronic disease patients

The Administrator of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF), Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, has warned that financial assistance for patients with chronic diseases will have limited impact if health facilities lack the equipment and infrastructure needed to provide specialised treatment.

She said the availability of funds to support patients must go hand in hand with improvements in healthcare facilities to ensure that people living with cancer and other chronic non-communicable diseases can receive the treatment they need.

“Even if people receive financial support, it will come to nothing if the health facilities do not have the needed equipment and infrastructure,” she said.

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Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku made the remarks during a sensitisation visit to Ho in the Volta Region on Wednesday October 14, 2026, where the Fund engaged traditional authorities, faith-based organisations, health professionals, students and community members on its mandate and the support available to eligible patients.

She explained that the GMTF was established to ease the financial burden on households caring for relatives with chronic illnesses, particularly those who struggle to afford specialised medical treatment.

According to her, the Fund’s nationwide public education campaign is intended to ensure that eligible patients understand the assistance available to them and know how to access it, rather than face the cost of treatment without adequate support.

The Administrator stressed that public awareness was essential to achieving the Fund’s objectives, adding that patients and their families needed clear information about the application process and the conditions for receiving assistance.

She also called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, healthcare professionals, community leaders and other stakeholders to ensure that support reaches people who need it. Such cooperation, she indicated, must extend beyond public education to include efforts to strengthen the facilities where patients receive care.

The GMTF’s engagement in Ho forms part of its wider effort to improve awareness of support for people living with chronic illnesses and strengthen cooperation among stakeholders. The campaign also highlights the need to ensure that financial assistance is matched by adequate healthcare infrastructure so that patients can benefit from the treatment they need.

ANAS/VPO

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