GMTF signs deals to build cardiac centres, cancer facility and US$10m diagnostic centre
The Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF) is expanding its mandate beyond paying medical bills for patients to investing in specialised healthcare infrastructure and equipment across the country.
The Fund is constructing cardiac catheterisation centres at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi and the Tamale Teaching Hospital. It is also partnering with private investors to establish a comprehensive Oncology and Nuclear Medicine Centre at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, while a US$10 million Diagnostic and Imaging Centre is being developed at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital.
The Administrator of the GMTF, Mrs Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, disclosed this at an event organised by the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA) in Accra.
She explained that the shift in strategy followed a nationwide assessment of teaching, regional and referral hospitals. The exercise examined gaps in infrastructure and equipment, patients’ experiences, distances travelled to access specialised care, waiting times, shortages of specialists and challenges confronting healthcare professionals.
According to Mrs Darko-Opoku, the assessment demonstrated that financial support alone was insufficient to address the difficulties faced by patients living with chronic and non-communicable diseases.
The Fund has therefore adopted a broader approach that simultaneously addresses treatment costs, infrastructure, medical equipment, specialist shortages, research and innovation.
The GMTF’s interventions are built around four key areas: financial assistance for eligible patients requiring specialised treatment for chronic diseases; investment in healthcare infrastructure and medical equipment; specialist training and human-capacity development; and research and innovation in non-communicable diseases.
Mrs Darko-Opoku stressed that the four areas were interconnected, noting that financial support would have limited impact without the necessary equipment, while equipment would be ineffective without trained specialists and research to improve patient care.
Following the fire at the National Cardiothoracic Centre at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, the GMTF supported the reconstruction and expansion of the cardiac catheterisation laboratory.
The Fund has now commenced construction of new cardiac catheterisation centres at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and the Tamale Teaching Hospital. Both facilities are expected to be equipped, commissioned and operational by the end of the year.
At Korle Bu, the GMTF is working with private investors to establish a comprehensive Oncology and Nuclear Medicine Centre.
The facility is expected to include a PET-CT scanner, linear accelerator machines, MRI and CT scanners, as well as a chemotherapy suite.
The project is intended to create an integrated cancer-care system within the public health sector, bringing diagnosis, advanced imaging, treatment and nuclear medicine services together in one facility.
The Greater Accra Regional Hospital, which serves approximately 800 patients each day, will also receive a purpose-built Diagnostic and Imaging Centre.
KGL Group has committed US$10 million to the project following engagements with Corporate Ghana.
The centre is expected to provide MRI, CT scan, mammography, digital X-ray and fluoroscopy services under one roof. Mrs Darko-Opoku said the site had already been secured and preparatory work was underway.
The GMTF says its responsibility will extend beyond procuring medical equipment and constructing facilities.
Mrs Darko-Opoku said the Fund would oversee the infrastructure and equipment it provides, with systems in place for management, servicing and maintenance to ensure that the investments remain functional.
She added that donated medical equipment would be allocated to hospitals based on evidence gathered from the nationwide needs assessment.
The nationwide assessment also identified significant shortages of medical specialists, forcing patients with chronic conditions to travel outside their regions for advanced treatment.
To address the problem, the Fund has partnered with professional colleges to support specialist training, with the goal of ensuring that every region has at least 10 specialists within the next few years.
It is also using data on patient care, disease patterns, hospital needs and treatment outcomes to guide future interventions.
Despite the expanded focus on infrastructure, the GMTF continues to provide direct financial support to patients.
After initially piloting its processes with 50 patients, the Fund developed GMTF Care, a digital platform designed to manage patient registration, cases, approvals, claims and payments.
More than 500 patients have so far been registered on the platform.
Mrs Darko-Opoku acknowledged the support of President John Dramani Mahama, Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, government appointees, the Ministry of Health, the National Health Insurance Authority and the Fund’s Board of Trustees.
She said personal financial contributions from the President, Vice President and government appointees provided the initial seed funding for the Fund.
The Social Security and National Insurance Trust is procuring a 64-slice CT scanner and a mammography machine, while the Ghana Gold Board has pledged an MRI machine.
Mrs Darko-Opoku subsequently appealed for further partnerships with state-owned enterprises, private companies and development partners to strengthen the Fund’s interventions.
She said the true measure of the GMTF’s success would not be the number of projects it announced, but whether Ghanaians living with non-communicable diseases could access affordable treatment, appropriate medical equipment and specialist care within reasonable proximity.
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