Global healthcare giant Novartis has thrown its weight behind the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF), describing the initiative as a critical and timely intervention capable of saving lives and expanding access to specialised healthcare.
The President of Global Health and Swiss Country Director of Novartis, Dr. Lutz Hegeman, made this pronouncement when he led a delegation from the company to engage the management of the Trust Fund.
Dr. Hegeman said Novartis is prepared to work closely with the GMTF to ensure that more Ghanaians living with chronic diseases could access financial support for specialised treatment.
He commended the Trust Fund’s mandate to address critical gaps in healthcare delivery and technology, saying its objectives closely aligned with the work of Novartis.
Support for research
Dr Hegeman expressed particular interest in collaboration between Novartis and the GMTF in research and development.
He said Novartis is willing to provide support, including much-needed medical equipment, to strengthen specialised healthcare delivery in Ghana and also pledged the company’s support for training as part of efforts to build the capacity of healthcare professionals.
GMTF’s one-year impact
The Administrator of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, used the engagement to highlight the Trust Fund’s achievements since its establishment a year ago.
Among the milestones, she cited the commissioning of an ultra-modern Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory at the National Cardiothoracic Centre (NCTC) of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
She also pointed to the donation of medical equipment and consumables to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), as well as the Trust Fund’s ongoing construction of two cardiology centres at the Komfo Anokye and Tamale Teaching Hospitals.
Beyond infrastructure and equipment, Ms. Darko-Opoku said the Trust Fund had begun actively disbursing financial support directly to accredited treatment centres to help patients meet the cost of high-cost chronic care.
The support covers conditions and treatments including dialysis, cancer treatment, renal care and cardiovascular diseases that fall outside the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
“We have also spearheaded ongoing specialist medical training and efforts to bridge critical equipment deficits, including MRI and CT scanners, in regional facilities,” she said.
The engagement is expected to open up further opportunities for collaboration between Novartis and the Ghana Medical Trust Fund in specialised healthcare, research and development, medical equipment and professional training.
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