The Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF) has intensified calls for international support to expand access to specialised healthcare, using the remarkable recovery of three-year-old Delshad Alukure as a powerful example of the Fund’s transformative impact.

Speaking at the ongoing Ghana-UK Investment Summit in London, Administrator of the GMTF, Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, said the Fund is changing lives by removing financial barriers that prevent many Ghanaians from accessing critical medical treatment.

Delshad, who was born with two life-threatening heart conditions — Double Outlet Right Ventricle (DORV) and Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) — faced an uncertain future after doctors determined that he required surgery costing more than GH¢150,000.

Unable to afford the procedure, his family feared the worst until the Ghana Medical Trust Fund stepped in through its pilot intervention programme to fully support the life-saving operation.

Less than two months after surgery, Delshad has made a remarkable recovery and is now healthy and active.

According to Ms Darko-Opoku, Delshad’s story reflects the broader mission of the Fund, which was established to ensure that access to specialised healthcare is based on medical need rather than financial capacity.

She noted that many Ghanaian families battling chronic illnesses such as cancer, kidney disease, cardiovascular conditions, diabetes and stroke often face severe financial hardship while seeking treatment.

The Fund, she said, is helping to protect families from catastrophic healthcare costs while improving health outcomes nationwide.

Since its establishment, the GMTF has focused on four strategic pillars: patient support, healthcare infrastructure development, specialist workforce training and medical research.

The Fund has already facilitated the distribution of critical medical equipment, including dialysis machines, intensive care unit beds and patient monitors.

It is also leading efforts to establish three cardiology centres at Korle Bu, Komfo Anokye and Tamale Teaching Hospitals, while supporting the training of specialist healthcare professionals across the country.

During its pilot phase, the Fund provided financial assistance to 50 patients requiring complex medical interventions, including heart and brain surgeries, chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments.

Looking ahead, GMTF leadership is seeking support from development partners, investors, philanthropists, corporate organisations and the Ghanaian diaspora to help expand specialist healthcare services nationwide.

Ms Darko-Opoku said the Fund’s vision is to ensure that no Ghanaian is denied life-saving healthcare because of financial constraints, describing healthcare investment as both a social necessity and a national development priority.