The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has inaugurated the Ghana Medical Care Trust Fund (MahamaCares) Taskforce to oversee the successful implementation of the initiative.
MahamaCares, an initiative of President John Mahama, aims to provide dedicated financial support to individuals suffering from chronic and debilitating illnesses. The initiative is designed to ensure fairness in healthcare access, particularly for those facing financial barriers to treatment.
Addressing the gathering, Mintah Akandoh highlighted that while the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has improved medical coverage, it does not completely ease the financial burden of treating chronic diseases. He stated, “The Ghana Medical Trust Fund is a bold response to this challenge. It's purpose is clear: no Ghanaian should choose between their health and financial ruin.”
He noted that the taskforce has been tasked with developing a strong policy and legal framework to establish MahamaCares as a statutory entity. In addition, the team will be responsible for designing a sustainable funding model to ensure the long-term viability of the fund, setting clear eligibility and disbursement criteria to guarantee fairness, and evaluating Ghana’s healthcare infrastructure to recommend improvements for better accessibility.
Rev. Prof. Emeritus Seth Aryeetey, Chairman of the nine-member taskforce, expressed his immerse gratitude to the President and the Minister for the opportunity to serve. He assured that the taskforce would work diligently to ensure the success of the MahamaCares initiative and deliver on its mandate effectively.
Other members of the taskforce include; Prof. Emeritus Binka - former Vice Chancellor of the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Prof. Margaret Kweku - Public Health Consultant, Dr Alfred Doku - Consultant Cardiologist, Dr. Radolph Nsor-Ambala - financial expert, Dr Anthony Gingong - representative of the National Health Insurance Trust Fund, Dr. Anthony Seddoh - Health Policy and financing expert, Anna Pearl Akiwumi Siriboe - lawyer and the Attorney General’s representative for the committee and Dr Belinda Afriyie - Public Health Consultant Secretary for the Taskforce.