The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has unveiled the government’s plan to address healthcare financing gaps through the introduction of the Ghana Medical Care Trust Fund, also known as Mahama Cares.
The initiative is aimed at ensuring fairness in healthcare financing, eliminating disparities in access to treatment, and improving the well-being of Ghanaians.
The Ghana Medical Care Trust Fund will provide financial assistance to individuals suffering from chronic and life-threatening illnesses, removing financial barriers to quality healthcare.
At the launch of the Nine-Member Operationalization Taskforce for the Ghana Medical Care Trust Fund on Wednesday, March 12, the Health Minister emphasized the fund’s pivotal role in addressing the high costs of specialized treatments.
Kwabena Mintah Akandoh reiterated that Mahama Cares is designed to promote equity in healthcare access and enhance overall health outcomes in the country.
“We promised to launch Mahama Cares to support the treatment of chronic diseases in this country. This initiative is born out of the fact that mortality rates due to chronic diseases are alarmingly high. To operationalize such a fund, a thorough process is required,” he stated.
“So, we needed a task force in place to present that road map. We should be able to consolidate all inputs. They are going to be at the center of affairs.”
The Operationalization Taskforce has up to the 15th of April to report its findings back to the Ministry for the full rollout of the programme. The team is composed of experts from various fields, including healthcare, finance, and policy. The members of the Taskforce include:
-Rev. Prof. Emeritus Seth Aryeetey – Former Provost, College of Health Sciences (Chairman)
-Prof. Emeritus F. Binka – Former Vice-Chancellor, UHAS
-Prof. Margaret Kweku – Public Health Consultant
-Dr. Alfred Doku – Consultant Cardiologist
-Dr. Randolph Nsor-Ambala – Finance Expert
-Dr. Anthony Gigong – Representative, NHIA
-Dr. Anthony Seddoh – Health Policy and Finance Expert
-Dr. Belinda Afriyie Nimako – Acting Director, PPME, Ministry of Health
-Representative from the Attorney General’s Department
Speaking to Citi News, the Chairman of the Operationalization Taskforce assured stakeholders that the team would work expeditiously to meet its terms of reference within the stipulated timeframe.
“We will be looking at the legal framework, we will look at infrastructure.”
