Ghana Medical Trust Fund expands cancer support and urges mining sector investment

The Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF), also known as Mahama Care, is providing financial assistance for cancer patients in the Volta Region. Seven clients with various cancer-related conditions have been registered under the programme so far. While some patients are receiving care at the Ho Teaching Hospital, others have been referred to specialized facilities in Accra and Kumasi, including Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, due to local service limitations.

At the National Mining Dialogue 2026, GMTF Administrator Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku urged mining companies to invest more heavily in healthcare infrastructure within their host communities. She argued that traditional corporate social responsibility, such as building roads or schools, should expand to include medical systems to prevent families from being financially ruined by serious illnesses.

Darko-Opoku highlighted critical shortages in Ghana’s public tertiary health sector, noting that the country has only two functional MRI machines, five mammogram machines, and two public radiotherapy machines. She also pointed out that the northern sector lacks sufficient specialized medical personnel and equipment to serve its population.