GMTF surpasses expectations in first year - Health Minister

…Fund emerges as key driver of specialised healthcare and Universal Health Coverage

The Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF) has delivered a stunning first-year performance, exceeding expectations and emerging as a critical vehicle for expanding access to specialised healthcare in Ghana, the Minister of Health, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has said.

The Minister said the Fund, within just one year of operation, had demonstrated that strategic collaboration between government, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders could make a significant difference in addressing some of the country’s most pressing healthcare challenges.

The Health Minister made the assessment at a ceremony marking the first anniversary of the GMTF, held under the theme “One Year On – An Evening of Reflection.” The event brought together specialist doctors, medical directors, healthcare professionals and other key stakeholders to reflect on the Fund’s journey and achievements during its first year.

“Within just one year, the Fund has exceeded expectations,” the Minister declared, commending the management of the GMTF, specialist doctors, medical directors and healthcare professionals for their commitment to the Fund’s mandate.

He said the progress made by the GMTF represented an important step in Ghana’s quest to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC), particularly by removing financial barriers that prevent many Ghanaians from accessing specialised medical care.

A new pathway to specialised care

According to the Minister, the GMTF was becoming an important instrument through which government was strengthening the country’s response to complex and chronic health conditions and improving access to specialised treatment.

He said the Fund’s achievements in its first year underscored the importance of bringing key actors in the health sector together to develop practical solutions to healthcare challenges.

Hon. Akandoh, however, urged medical experts and other stakeholders to maintain honesty, transparency and accountability in their engagements with government to ensure that the resources and interventions provided through the Fund achieved their intended purpose.

He called on medical practitioners to work closely with government and the GMTF to improve health outcomes and ensure that interventions translated into tangible benefits for ordinary Ghanaians.

Make GMTF more visible

The Minister also challenged the management of the GMTF to intensify public education and make the Fund more visible and accessible to Ghanaians.

He said it was not enough for interventions to be available; citizens needed to understand what the Fund offered, who qualified for support and how they could access it.

Greater public awareness, he noted, would ensure that the Fund’s specialised healthcare interventions reached more people who needed them most.

Building on NHIS

Hon. Akandoh further disclosed that government was strengthening the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) as part of broader efforts to make healthcare more accessible, responsive and sustainable.

He said the NHIS, together with complementary interventions such as the GMTF, formed part of government's wider strategy to remove barriers to quality healthcare and move Ghana closer to achieving Universal Health Coverage.

The Minister therefore urged stakeholders across the health sector to sustain the collaboration, professionalism and commitment that had characterised the Fund’s first year.

He said the ultimate measure of the GMTF’s success must be its ability to change lives, save lives and ensure that no Ghanaian is denied access to specialised healthcare because of financial constraints.