THE Northern Regional Minister, Mr Ali Adolf John Mburidiba, has called for intensified public education and stronger stakeholder collaboration to ensure that eligible patients in the region understand and benefit from the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, popularly known as MahamaCares.
He said healthcare delivery was not merely a social service but a fundamental requirement for human dignity, economic productivity and national development.
The minister made the call at a stakeholders’ forum on the Ghana Medical Trust Fund in Tamale yesterday. The forum, organised by the Fund, brought together its representatives, health institutions, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), traditional authorities, civil society organisations and healthcare professionals.
Mr Mburidiba (inset) addressing the participants.
Mr Mburidiba described the forum as an important opportunity to strengthen collective efforts to improve access to healthcare, protect vulnerable households from the financial burden of serious illnesses and promote the well-being of the population.
He said MahamaCares formed part of the government’s broader healthcare agenda under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama.
He explained that the initiative reflected the need for an integrated healthcare system that combined disease prevention, early detection, routine treatment, health insurance and access to specialised medical services.
The minister noted that the establishment of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund was an important intervention to address gaps in healthcare financing and make specialised treatment more accessible, equitable and financially sustainable.
He added that the initiative could help reduce financial barriers to specialised medical care and protect vulnerable households from the economic consequences of serious illnesses.
Furthermore, Mr Mburidiba indicated that the Northern Region stood to benefit significantly from the effective implementation of MahamaCares, particularly because of the difficulties many households faced in accessing specialised healthcare.
He noted that transportation to referral facilities, diagnostic investigations, medicines and prolonged treatment could place considerable pressure on household incomes, especially among residents of rural and hard-to-reach communities where access to specialist services remained a challenge.
He disclosed that the Tamale Teaching Hospital and other designated private hospitals had been identified under the Fund to serve residents of the region.
Moreover, he described the arrangement as a foundation for strengthening referral pathways and improving access to assistance for eligible patients.
Mr Mburidiba, however, cautioned that designating hospitals alone would not guarantee the initiative’s success. He stressed the need to provide residents with adequate information about the Fund, the medical conditions it covered, eligibility requirements and the procedures for applying for assistance.
He, therefore, called on the Regional Health Directorate, hospital administrators, district health management teams, MMDAs, traditional authorities and civil society organisations to intensify public education in their respective communities following the engagement.
FROM YAHAYA NUHU NADAA, TAMALE
SKIP THE QUEUE, TAP THE NEWS
Read the Ghanaian Times and The Spectator newspapers from the comfort of your device via TimesNewsPlus.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel now! https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAjG7g3gvWajUAEX12Q
