The Ghana Medical Trust Fund, popularly known as Mahama Cares, has spent more than GHS 4.8 million on the treatment of patients suffering from serious non communicable diseases as preparations intensify for the official nationwide rollout of its Patient Support Programme in June 2026.
The announcement was made by Adwoa Oboubia Opoku-Darko, Administrator of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, during the Government Accountability Series held at Jubilee House, where she provided the first detailed account of the Fund’s pilot operations, expenditure, beneficiary profile, and implementation roadmap.
According to her, before the full national implementation of the programme, the Board of Trustees approved an initial pilot phase in February 2026 involving fifty patients from different parts of the country.
She explained that the pilot programme was designed to test the operational systems of the Fund, including patient onboarding, treatment monitoring, and claims management, while simultaneously providing urgent medical support to beneficiaries with life-threatening conditions.
She said the exercise allowed the Fund to assess its readiness for nationwide implementation and identify areas requiring adjustment before opening the programme to a larger population.
“Before that, the Board of Trustees approved a pilot phase involving fifty patients in the month of February. This allowed the Fund to test our systems of patient onboarding, treatment monitoring, and claims management”.
Administrator of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (Mahama Cares) Adwoa Oboubia Opoku-Darko
GHS 4.8 Million Invested in Specialized Care
Providing details of the intervention, Opoku-Darko disclosed that over GHS 4.8 million has so far been expended on the treatment of the pilot beneficiaries, many of whom required highly specialized procedures that would ordinarily place enormous financial pressure on their families.
She revealed that the beneficiaries ranged in age from just six months to eighty five years, highlighting the broad demographic reach of the Fund. The patients received treatment in eleven hospitals across Ghana.
“These beneficiaries, drawn from across the country, received support for heart surgeries, brain surgeries, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and orthopaedic surgeries. Over GHS 4.8 million has been expended in the treatment of these patients so far”.
Administrator of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (Mahama Cares) Adwoa Oboubia Opoku-Darko
The Administrator noted that the pilot phase has demonstrated both the urgent need for such interventions and the potential of the Fund to transform healthcare access for patients suffering from chronic and costly medical conditions.
Focus on Non Communicable Diseases
The Ghana Medical Trust Fund was established to provide financial relief for patients battling non communicable diseases, many of which require long term and expensive treatment.
Opoku-Darko outlined the disease conditions currently covered under the Fund’s support package, stating that the programme is already financing treatment for breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, and a number of childhood cancers.
She identified childhood cancers currently covered as leukaemia, lymphoma, soft tissue sarcomas, retinoblastoma, and nephroblastoma. According to her, the benefits package will continue to expand as the Fund matures, with additional disease conditions expected to be included before the end of the year.
“Additional disease conditions will be included in the benefits package by the end of the year,” she announced.
Nationwide Patient Support Begins in June
Having successfully tested its systems through the pilot programme, the Fund is now preparing for full scale implementation across the country beginning in June 2026.
The Administrator confirmed that the nationwide patient support programme will officially commence next month, opening the door for more eligible Ghanaians to access financial assistance for specialized treatment.
She explained that twenty-nine hospitals have already been enlisted under the programme and strategically distributed across the country to ensure equitable access regardless of location. The selected facilities, she noted, will serve as the initial access points for patients seeking support under the Trust Fund.
Addressing public concerns about how patients can access support, Adwoa Oboubia Opoku-Darko emphasized that the Fund has adopted a fully digital application process designed to protect patient dignity while ensuring transparency and accountability.
“It is important to clarify that patients cannot walk directly into the Secretariat to request support. The process is digital and dignified,” she explained. Instead, she said applications must be initiated by specialist clinicians working at enlisted hospitals through a dedicated digital platform.
This system, according to her, ensures that applications are medically justified, professionally reviewed, and processed efficiently.
Eligibility Requirements for Support
The Administrator also outlined the eligibility requirements for patients seeking support under the programme. She stated that applicants must first be Ghanaian citizens.
They must also possess an active National Health Insurance Scheme card and must be diagnosed with a medical condition that falls within the approved list supported by the Fund.
She explained that these requirements are necessary to ensure fairness, accountability, and the long term sustainability of the intervention. The Ghana Medical Trust Fund’s early intervention is already bringing relief to families who would otherwise struggle to pay for lifesaving treatment.
With more than GHS 4.8 million already committed during its pilot phase and nationwide implementation set for June, the Fund is positioning itself as one of the most ambitious healthcare interventions aimed at tackling the growing burden of non communicable diseases in Ghana.
As the programme moves from pilot testing to full implementation, many patients and families across the country will be watching closely, hopeful that Mahama Cares will provide the support needed to access critical treatment without financial ruin.
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