The Medical Director of the Upper East Regional Hospital (UERH) in Bolgatanga, Dr Joseph Kojo Tambil, has urged specialists and other health professionals to keep a high level of suspicion for cancers and cardiovascular diseases. He wants eligible patients identified early and enrolled to benefit from the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF).
Dr Tambil argued that early identification and enrolment would reduce the financial burden of specialised healthcare and help the Fund achieve its objectives. He made the appeal at a corporate soiree organised by the GMTF in Bolgatanga.
“If we do that, I think we will be able to achieve the mandate of the Fund and provide relief for our patients.”
Dr Joseph Kojo Tambil
He noted that, because the GMTF organised the soiree to reflect on its operations and its contribution to improving access to specialised healthcare for people living with chronic diseases. The Fund, popularly known as MahamaCares, is a government initiative aimed at reducing the financial burden of specialised treatment for such patients.
Dr Tambil used the occasion to link the Fund’s reach to the vigilance of clinicians. A patient can only benefit if a health professional recognises the signs early enough to identify and enrol them, and that, in his account, begins with a high level of suspicion for the two disease groups he named.
Commendation for the Administrator and Her Team
Dr Tambil commended the Administrator of the Fund, Madam Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, and her team for their commitment to improving access to specialised healthcare. He described the impact of their activities in the first few months of operation as remarkable.
He noted that the Fund’s efforts to mobilise resources, consult stakeholders and support healthcare delivery had been evident. The team, he added, deserved commendation for its dedication.
He also thanked the Administrator and her team for visiting the region for the second time this year. He described the engagement as an important step towards strengthening collaboration between the hospital and the Fund.
Equipment Requests Before the Fund
Dr Tambil disclosed that hospital management has formally submitted requests to the Fund for critical medical equipment. The list includes a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine, a biosafety cabinet, endoscopy suites and ventilators for the hospital’s Intensive Care Units (ICUs).
These items bear on the work Dr Tambil described. Imaging and endoscopy equipment helps clinicians investigate suspected cancers and other serious conditions, while ventilators support patients in critical care. A regional hospital that serves a large catchment depends on such equipment to treat patients without referring them elsewhere.
“If all these things come in, there is no doubt that it will improve the quality of the care that we give drastically and tremendously.”
Dr Joseph Kojo Tambil
He expressed optimism that the provision of the equipment would significantly improve healthcare delivery and the quality of care offered to patients.
Dr Tambil voiced confidence that the Fund would consider the hospital’s requests. He did not state when a decision is expected, and he did not name the cost of the equipment.
“We are happy, and we look forward to a bright future with the support of the Fund,”
Dr Joseph Kojo Tambil
Gratitude and a Pledge of Collaboration
On behalf of the hospital’s management and staff, Dr Tambil expressed gratitude to the GMTF for its engagement. He pledged continued collaboration to improve healthcare delivery in the region.
He closed his remarks on a note of partnership, pairing the hospital’s thanks with a commitment to work alongside the Fund. The pledge matches the tone of his address, which blended praise for the Fund with direct requests.
“We are immensely grateful, and we look forward to a future of great collaboration and, together, help to make lives better.”
Medical Director of the Upper East Regional Hospital (UERH) in Bolgatanga, Dr Joseph Kojo Tambil
Two matters now stand out. Dr Tambil wants clinicians to identify eligible patients early, and the hospital awaits the Fund’s response to its equipment requests.
Whether the Fund approves the equipment, and how quickly it enrols patients from the Upper East Region, will show how far the soiree’s goodwill translates into care at the bedside. The answer matters to patients.
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