The Ga Mantse, King Nii Teiko Tsuru II, has called for a healthcare system that ensures poverty does not determine who receives life-saving treatment.

He said no Ghanaian should be denied quality healthcare because they cannot afford treatment, particularly as the rising cost of specialised care puts severe financial pressure on families.

The Ga Mantse made the call during an engagement with a delegation from the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF), led by its Administrator, Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, as part of the Fund’s nationwide sensitisation tour.

He described the establishment of the GMTF as a significant intervention for families struggling to afford specialised healthcare.

He urged stakeholders to make full use of the opportunities provided by the Fund to ensure that vulnerable Ghanaians are not excluded from quality care because of their financial circumstances.

The Ga Mantse also encouraged the Fund to explore support for maternal healthcare, saying this would complement its broader efforts to improve healthcare delivery.

Ms Darko-Opoku said the sensitisation campaign aimed to ensure that every Ghanaian understood the Fund’s work and the support available through its interventions.

She cautioned that Greater Accra’s reputation as a region of opportunities should not overshadow the difficulties faced by families caring for relatives with non-communicable diseases.

“Even here in Greater Accra, families go through enormous difficulties trying to care for relatives suffering from non-communicable diseases,” she said.

She explained that the GMTF was established to address critical gaps in healthcare delivery by supporting medical equipment, infrastructure, treatment costs, and other areas of specialised care.

Ms Darko-Opoku appealed to individuals, businesses and corporate organisations in the region to support the Fund in expanding its reach and saving more lives.

The Greater Accra Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Robert Amesiya, urged Ghanaians to “jealously guard” the GMTF, describing it as an opportunity to strengthen the health system and improve access to critical services.

He said collective support was essential to fulfilling the Fund’s mandate, particularly for people who would otherwise be unable to afford specialised treatment.

The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, commended President John Dramani Mahama for establishing the GMTF and welcomed its nationwide sensitisation campaign.

She said greater public awareness was essential to ensuring that the Fund’s interventions reached the intended beneficiaries.

The minister also called for closer collaboration between the GMTF and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to avoid duplication and maximise the impact of resources.

She assured the Fund of the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council’s support in strengthening collaboration across the region.

The nationwide tour seeks to bring the Fund closer to communities, healthcare professionals, traditional authorities and other stakeholders, while mobilising support for its work.