The Ghana Medical Trust Fund is intensifying efforts to bridge gaps in healthcare financing by partnering with the Multimedia Group Limited (MGL) to educate Ghanaians on support av
The report indicates that the Ghana Medical Trust Fund is intensifying efforts to bridge gaps in healthcare financing by partnering with the Multimedia Group Limited (MGL) to educate Ghanaians on support available for medical conditions that fall outside the coverage of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
It further notes that the Board and management of the Fund paid a courtesy call on the Multimedia Group to explore avenues for collaboration aimed at raising public awareness about the Fund’s mandate and how it complements existing healthcare financing mechanisms.
Administrator of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, Obuobia Darko-Opoku, explained that the Fund was established to support patients whose treatment needs extend beyond what the NHIS is able to cover.
“What happens is that those patients can now be onboarded onto the trust fund because the trust fund will be able to take you further than where the National Health Insurance can take you,” she said.
Using dialysis treatment as an example, she noted that while NHIS supports a limited number of sessions for kidney patients, those requiring additional treatment, surgery or specialized interventions often face significant financial burdens.
“We say that where the National Health Insurance ends, that’s where the trust fund begins,” she added.
According to Madam Darko-Opoku, the Fund has already completed a successful pilot phase involving 50 patients across the country suffering from conditions such as congenital heart disease, cancer, burns and other critical illnesses.
The pilot covered surgeries, chemotherapy treatments and other medical interventions while helping the Fund identify healthcare facilities capable of handling various specialised conditions.
“After that, we knew that we were ready to step out there,” she stated.
The Administrator further stated that measures are being put in place to ensure the long-term sustainability of the initiative beyond the tenure of the current administration.
She stated government is exploring more reliable and direct funding sources to reduce dependence on allocations from the NHIS budget and secure the future of the programme.
“We are looking for a direct source of funding so that we don’t need to depend on the National Health Insurance’s budget,” she said, expressing optimism that future budget allocations would strengthen the Fund’s operations.
Chief Operating Officer of the Multimedia Group Limited, Ken Ansah, welcomed the proposed partnership, describing it as consistent with the organization’s longstanding commitment to healthcare advocacy and support.
“As you know, Multimedia, we take health reporting and support very seriously, to the extent that we go out of our way to raise funds for people who find themselves in very difficult situations,” he said.
