Pulima Chief backs Ghana Medical Trust Fund after GH¢60,000 kidney treatment ordeal

The Paramount Chief of the Pulima and Gandawii Traditional Area in the Sissala West District of the Upper West Region, Kuoro Osman Deiwia Nankpa III, has endorsed the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF), drawing on his personal experience with the high cost of treating serious illnesses.

The traditional ruler said he spent more than GH¢60,000 on treatment for an acute kidney condition in 2008, an experience that exposed him to the financial and emotional difficulties families face when confronted with life-threatening health conditions.

He described the GMTF as a timely intervention that could prevent patients from being denied specialised medical care because they cannot afford the cost of treatment.

Speaking at a stakeholder engagement and town hall meeting organised by the Fund during its regional sensitisation tour of the Upper West Region, Kuoro Nankpa III called on residents, traditional authorities, corporate institutions and other stakeholders to support its operations and long-term sustainability.

He said serious illnesses could disrupt family livelihoods and financial stability, making it important for the country to strengthen initiatives that ease the cost of accessing essential healthcare.

He commended President John Dramani Mahama for establishing the Fund, describing it as a thoughtful health intervention with the potential to become one of the enduring legacies of his administration.

The Paramount Chief also appealed for the deployment of heart surgeons to the Upper West Region to improve access to specialised treatment and reduce the need for patients to travel outside the region for advanced medical care.

The Upper West Regional Minister, Charles Lwanga Puozuing, said the success of the GMTF would depend on collective efforts to ensure that its support reached the intended beneficiaries.

He assured the Fund of the Regional Coordinating Council’s backing and urged the media to intensify public education to address misconceptions about its operations and services.

The Administrator of the GMTF, Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, explained that the Fund was established to provide financial assistance to eligible patients living with non-communicable diseases and improve healthcare delivery through the provision of essential medical equipment to health facilities.

She also acknowledged the contribution of health professionals whose expertise and commitment were supporting the implementation of the Fund’s programmes.

The Acting Medical Director of the Upper West Regional Hospital, Dr Philip Baabiineh, identified cardiovascular diseases, kidney conditions and other non-communicable diseases as major causes of deaths in health facilities across the region.

He pledged the hospital’s commitment to helping eligible patients access support from the Fund and welcomed efforts to train more specialist healthcare professionals to strengthen service delivery.

The Upper West Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Josephat Ana-Imwine Nyuzaghl, called for a community-based approach to educating residents about the Fund.

He proposed that Community Health Nurses be engaged to provide information at district and community levels, particularly in remote areas where residents may have limited access to information on specialised healthcare interventions.

Dr Nyuzaghl also called for improved diagnostic facilities at the Upper West Regional Hospital, including the provision of a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine, to strengthen diagnosis and access to specialised healthcare.

He assured the GMTF of the Ghana Health Service’s continued collaboration to help achieve the Fund’s objectives.

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