The National House of Chiefs has questioned the sustainability of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund beyond the current political administration.

Although the Medical Trust Fund was established through an Act of Parliament, the traditional leaders are sceptical about its continued implementation should a new political party be voted into power.

Citing instances of abandoned government projects, including Agenda 111 and the Saglemi Housing project, President of the House, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, demanded assurances and measures to extend the free national health care initiative beyond 2028.

He made the remarks when a delegation from the Trust Fund, led by its Administrator, Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, paid a courtesy call on the National House of Chiefs in Kumasi.

“Ex-president Kufour started low-cost houses, and these houses are still not completed. Mahama constructed Saglemi, and they were abandoned. Now, we have Agenda 111. That’s why we [Nananom] are concerned.

"This intervention is excellent. We support it. But from experience, when governments come in, they abandon them. That’s why we are asking is it sustainable?” he noted.

The House further requested that the Trust Fund de-emphasise the slogan “MahamaCares” to eschew any political interference in the policy they describe as an “excellent” initiative.

“That’s why one of us said that we can de-emphasise the "MahamaCares." We don’t want politics to be in this. We are concerned because, when a government starts a project and another comes in, they abandon them."

He continued that: “This one, what are the assurances? I know that it is by the Act of Parliament, but it is the government in power which would allocate the resources."

Reacting to the concerns from the traditional leaders, Administrator of the Trust Fund Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku noted that the “MahamaCares” slogan was only a nickname of the initiative.

She is convinced the name would have no negative impact on the continuance of the programme’s implementation during a change of government.

“The name of the Trust Fund is the Ghana Medical Trust Fund. When we were all growing up, we all had nicknames. So, I think that for “MahamaCares” it’s just a nickname for the Ghana Medical Trust Fund. So, going forward if there is a change of government, I don’t think it will affect the name of the Trust Fund,” she said.

Mrs Obuobia Darko-Opoku highlighted that the achievement of the Trust Fund in the last seven months of its establishment and the intended targets of the fund before the end of President Mahama’s tenure makes it difficult for a new government to halt the initiative.

“For the kind of impact we have even made in the last 7 months, I think it would be difficult for any government to decide not to continue with this project. If you look at the cardiology centres we are establishing across the country - at Korle Bu, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospitals and Tamale, and other projects we would have achieved before Mahama’s tenure ends, then clearly it is a fund that simply can’t go away with President Mahama,” she emphasised.

The Ghana Medical Trust Fund, otherwise known as “Mahama Cares”, is a national healthcare initiative spearheaded by the President to provide financial assistance for Ghanaians suffering from chronic and severe non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like cancer, kidney failure, stroke, and cardiovascular diseases.

The primary goal of the initiative is to ease the extreme financial burden on families by covering medical procedures, medications, and treatments that are not included under the standard National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

The project also seeks to invest in medical infrastructure and the training of professionals to offer quality healthcare services to citizens.