The Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (GAMLS) has congratulated the management of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (MahamaCares) on its first year of rollout and implementation, and welcomed the Fund’s de-bundling of service tariffs, including medical laboratory fees.
The association said the step gives laboratory investigations proper recognition in the financing of patient care, and it urged the Fund to back the progress with sustainable funding and the timely settlement of claims.
GAMLS said the first-year milestone reflects a significant commitment to strengthening healthcare financing, improving access to essential medical services and supporting Ghanaians living with chronic and life-threatening diseases. It described the progress made so far as commendable and said it shows the value of sustained investment in initiatives that place patients at the centre of service delivery.
The association singled out the de-bundling of service tariffs as the most significant development. De-bundling separates the charges for individual services, so that each, including a laboratory test, is priced and reimbursed in its own right instead of being absorbed into a single package.
“This development represents an important step towards promoting transparency in healthcare costing, improving the recognition of individual service components, and ensuring that medical laboratory investigations receive appropriate consideration in the delivery and financing of patient care.”
Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (GAMLS)
What the Association Wants Next
GAMLS called the change a welcome one that reinforces the essential role of medical laboratory scientists in the healthcare system.
Having welcomed the intervention, GAMLS set out what it believes will sustain it. It encouraged the Fund to keep engaging relevant professional groups so that the programme remains responsive to the needs of patients and healthcare providers. Its requests centre on laboratory services.
“We further advocate for sustainable funding, transparent reimbursement mechanisms, and the timely settlement of claims for services rendered, particularly medical laboratory investigations that underpin clinical decision-making.”
Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (GAMLS)
The Fund’s First-Year Record
The Fund focuses on specialist care for cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, stroke and diabetes, according to the Kumasi Mail. It began with a pilot that supported 50 patients across 11 hospitals at a cost of more than GH¢4.8 million, covering heart and brain surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and orthopaedic procedures. The patient-support programme has since expanded to 29 hospitals.
Beyond direct patient support, the Fund is financing cardiac centres with catheterisation laboratories at the Korle Bu, Komfo Anokye and Tamale teaching hospitals. The Korle Bu laboratory, rebuilt after a fire, was inaugurated in July 2026.
The Fund has also committed GH¢36.23 million to specialist training in oncology, nephrology, cardiology, endocrinology and neurology, working with the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives and the Ghana College of Pharmacists.
The conditions the Fund targets depend heavily on laboratory work, from diagnosis to monitoring the response to treatment. That is the point GAMLS makes when it says laboratory investigations underpin clinical decision-making, and it is why the association pays close attention to how those investigations are priced and paid for.
Timely settlement of claims is the other concern. Laboratories that carry out tests on patients’ behalf depend on prompt reimbursement to keep their services running, which is why the association asked for transparent reimbursement mechanisms alongside sustainable funding.
A Call for Collaboration
GAMLS said it looks forward to deeper collaboration between the Fund and the medical laboratory science profession, with the aim of advancing equitable access to quality diagnostic services and strengthening healthcare delivery across the country.
The association wished the Fund continued success as it works towards providing financial relief and improved healthcare access to Ghanaians who need it most. It closed with a call for a healthcare system in which quality diagnosis, appropriate treatment and financial protection are accessible to all.
Attention now turns to whether the Fund’s second year will bring the sustainable funding, transparent reimbursement and prompt payment of claims that GAMLS has asked for. How the Fund engages professional groups, including laboratory scientists, will help determine whether the de-bundled tariffs translate into timely payment for the services that patients depend on.
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