GH¢60,000 kidney treatment ordeal drives Pulima chief’s support for GMTF

The Paramount Chief of the Pulima and Gandawii Traditional Area, Kuoro Osman Deiwia Nankpa III, says a kidney condition that cost him more than GH¢60,000 to treat in 2008 has strengthened his support for the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF).

He said the experience exposed him to the financial and emotional strain serious illnesses place on families, particularly those unable to afford specialised care.

Speaking at a GMTF stakeholder engagement and town hall meeting in the Upper West Region, Kuoro Nankpa III urged Ghanaians to support the Fund to ensure its sustainability.

The engagement formed part of the Fund’s regional sensitisation tour.

The traditional ruler, whose area is in the Sissala West District, said illness could suddenly disrupt livelihoods and exhaust family resources.

He stressed the need for interventions that prevent patients from being denied essential treatment because they cannot pay.

He described the GMTF as a timely, potentially life-saving initiative and appealed to residents, traditional authorities, businesses and other stakeholders to rally behind it.

Kuoro Nankpa III commended President John Mahama for establishing the Fund, saying it could become an enduring legacy of his administration.

He also appealed for heart surgeons to be made available in the Upper West Region to reduce the burden on patients seeking specialised treatment elsewhere.

The Upper West Regional Minister, Charles Lwanga Puozuing, said the Fund’s success would depend on collective efforts to reach those most in need.

He pledged the Regional Coordinating Council's support and urged the media to educate the public and address misconceptions about the Fund’s services.

GMTF Administrator Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku explained that the Fund provides financial support to eligible patients with non-communicable diseases. It also supports healthcare delivery by providing essential medical equipment to health facilities.

She thanked health professionals for helping implement the Fund’s interventions.

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

He pledged the hospital’s support in helping eligible patients access the Fund and welcomed efforts to train more specialist healthcare professionals.

The Upper West Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Josephat Ana-Imwine Nyuzaghl, called for community-based public education to improve awareness of the Fund.

He proposed involving community health nurses in educating residents, particularly those in remote areas with limited access to information.

Dr Nyuzaghl also appealed for stronger diagnostic capacity at the Upper West Regional Hospital, including the provision of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine.

He assured the Fund of the Ghana Health Service’s continued collaboration in delivering its mandate.