The Asogli State has welcomed the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF), popularly known as Mahama Cares, while calling for transparent and responsible management of its resources.
Togbe Kasa III, speaking on behalf of the Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, described the Fund as a laudable initiative that could bridge gaps in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and improve access to specialised healthcare.
He said the initiative offered hope to people struggling to afford essential medical treatment but cautioned against the misuse of its resources.
“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.
He made the remarks when the GMTF Administrator, Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, paid a courtesy call on the chiefs of the Asogli State as part of the Fund’s Volta Regional sensitisation tour.
Togbe Kasa III commended the Administrator and her team for involving traditional authorities in public education on the Fund’s mandate, describing the engagements as essential to building awareness and support.
He expressed optimism that the Fund would complement the NHIS by improving access to specialised medical services, particularly for patients unable to afford treatment.
He said its success should be measured by how effectively it improved access to care and eased the financial burden on families facing serious medical conditions.
Ms Darko-Opoku thanked the chiefs for receiving the delegation and stressed the need to extend public education on the Fund to communities across the country.
She explained that the sensitisation exercise sought to help Ghanaians understand the Fund’s purpose, the support it offered and how eligible patients could access its interventions.
She said the Fund needed to take its message beyond institutions and directly into communities, particularly to people unaware of the specialised healthcare support available to them.
Ms Darko-Opoku added that collaboration with traditional authorities and other community leaders was essential to reaching more people with accurate information.
The courtesy call formed part of the GMTF’s Volta Regional sensitisation tour, which aims to strengthen stakeholder collaboration and raise awareness of its interventions.
The Fund was established to support the prevention and treatment of non-communicable diseases, improve access to specialised medical care and strengthen the training of specialist health professionals.
