The Vice President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has called for urgent reforms in the country’s healthcare system following revelations of critical gaps in equipment, personnel, and access to treatment for chronic diseases.
She made the remarks when she paid a working visit to the Ghana Medical Trust Fund Secretariat also known as the Mahama Cares Fund in Accra.
The Administrator of the Fund, Obuobia Darko-Opoku, says a nationwide needs assessment exposed alarming deficiencies across key health facilities needed to treat non-communicable diseases.
According to her, Ghana currently has only two radiotherapy machines, both located in Accra, resulting in waiting periods of up to four months for cancer patients. She also revealed that the country has just “five mammogram machines, limiting early detection of breast cancer.”
The assessment, she says, now serves as “a blueprint guiding the operations of the Secretariat’’, especially as the Fund prepares to expand access to free treatment services.
The Vice President said no one chooses to be ill, but when it happens, the systems must be ready.
She emphasized the need to strengthen primary healthcare systems, including “CHPS compounds, to reduce pressure on major hospitals’’. She also highlighted the importance of research into rising cases of non-communicable diseases, particularly among children.
She further called for reforms in health training institutions, urging alignment between education and the current needs of the healthcare system.
The Ghana Medical Trust Fund is expected to play a key role in improving access to treatment for chronic illnesses, as government works to strengthen healthcare delivery nationwide.
By Evelyn Tengmaa
