The Ho Teaching Hospital is expected to see a significant boost in cardiovascular care following the announcement that a cardiology centre will be constructed at the facility under the Ghana Medical Trust Fund programme.
The initiative is part of the programme’s objective to improve infrastructure, logistics and specialist care, and to move the country towards achieving universal health coverage.
A health policy adviser, Dr Norbert Kipo, made the announcement at a stakeholder engagement in Ho, the Volta Regional capital. The engagement was part of a nationwide campaign aimed at informing the public about the objectives, operations and vision of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund.
Dr Kipo explained that construction of the cardiology centre is intended to enhance the logistical capacity of selected health facilities across the country.
“For 2027, on this same project of cardiology centres, the President has given an express directive to establish one at the Ho Teaching Hospital and also establish one at the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital.”
“So adequate provision has been made for this project for next year and once approval has been made by Parliament, construction will commence. So, that people in the eastern corridor as well as those on the western side can also benefit from this Fund”, he said.
Corporate partnership
He added that a $10 million partnership with the corporate sector would fund the construction of an ultra-modern diagnostic centre at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital.
He further said that other engagements were ongoing to secure funding to retool health facilities across the country based on needs assessments, ensuring that patients receive the best possible care, irrespective of the disease, in their respective jurisdictions.
Expanding cancer care
He disclosed that the Ghana Medical Trust Fund aims to establish a state-of-the-art oncology centre at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, adding that the model would be replicated at Komfo Anokye and Tamale Teaching Hospitals.
This, he said, was to ensure that the country could provide comprehensive, integrated cancer care. The facility would feature advanced diagnostic imaging, including CT, MRI, PET-CT and nuclear medicine with isotope production capacity.
It would also have dedicated chemotherapy suites, a comprehensive radiation oncology department, a brachytherapy facility and at least two linear accelerators (LINACs), among other ancillary facilities.
Specialist training
The Administrator of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, hinted at plans to upgrade logistics at the Ho Teaching Hospital and other health facilities, as well as provide at least 10 medical specialists in each of the 16 regions by the end of 2028.
“We are training 100 pharmacists; they can be trained at the same time, but for the nurses and midwives’ college, they told us that they had to do it in 3 instalments. So, this year in October, they started; they are training 40 of them, next year they will train 30; the following year they will train another 30.”
“So, at the end of the day, what the President wants to do is that by the time that he is done with his mandate and he is going, every region in this country should be able to boast of 10 specialists per region”, she explained.
She added that the Ghana Medical Trust Fund would also finance the training of biomedical engineers, who would be responsible for installing and maintaining medical equipment supplied to the various facilities by the Fund.
“Every piece of equipment we are giving to this teaching hospitals will be managed by us [Ghana Medical Trust Fund]. The facilities are not managing it. So, from the sales and service agreement to servicing, if there’s an equipment replacement, if the 10-year tenure is over and the equipment has to be replaced, everything is done by the Ghana Medical Trust Fund and not by the facilities themselves.”
“And we think that that’s how we can maintain this equipment and look after it well. So, that we can take the load off the facilities”, she said.
Effective cooperation and transparency
The Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, underscored the importance of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund in improving the quality of healthcare delivery and urged effective cooperation and transparency in its operations.
“The Ghana Medical Trust Fund is an important intervention intended to strengthen financial access, to treatment, for chronic and life-threatening diseases, in line with its mandate and approved procedures.”
“Its success in the Volta Region will depend on public awareness, transparent administration, effective coordination with healthcare providers, and fair access for eligible beneficiaries”, he said.
Appreciation
The Chief Executive Officer of Ho Teaching Hospital, Dr Hintermann Mbroh, lauded the Fund’s efforts, explaining that about 33 patients were receiving care under the Fund, which had been integrated into the facility’s electronic medical records system.
He acknowledged the commitment to improving human resources, following the sponsorship of four staff members of the Ho Teaching Hospital for post-basic certificate training in specialties related to non-communicable diseases.
“We look forward to the anticipated equipment support, particularly mammography, MRI, general X-ray and dialysis equipment. These will improve diagnostic and treatment capacity and reduce avoidable referrals outside the region.”
“The proposed Cardiology Centre, promised by His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama, is also under review in collaboration with the Ghana Medical Trust Fund. We remain hopeful that this important project will be realised”, he said.
The Ghana Medical Trust Fund aims to provide financial support for patients receiving treatment for chronic diseases, invest in infrastructure, logistics and human resources, and undertake specialist medical training and research.