Gaps in medical equipment, infrastructure and specialist personnel are contributing to delays in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic diseases in Ghana, the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF) has said.
Policy Advisor to the Administrator of the Fund, Dr. Norbert Mantu Kipo, disclosed this during an interview on Good Afternoon Ghana on Metro TV on Friday, September 25.
According to him, the Fund’s assessment of hospitals nationwide during its initial months of operation exposed significant deficits in the health system, particularly in diagnostic capacity and specialist care.
Dr. Kipo said the assessment revealed shortages in equipment needed to diagnose and manage serious illnesses, as well as gaps in infrastructure, including intensive care units.
He explained that the nationwide exercise examined shortages in health facilities, patient experiences, waiting times, distances travelled for treatment and the availability of specialists.
The Fund has identified equipment and infrastructure investment as one of its major interventions, alongside financial support for eligible patients, specialist training and medical research.
Dr. Kipo also highlighted the shortage of specialists, noting that the northern part of the country faces particularly serious challenges in accessing specialist cardiac care.
In response, the Fund has begun supporting specialist training. According to the Ghana Health Service, the GMTF has partnered with professional bodies to train 100 specialist health professionals across the country.
Additionally, the Fund is investing in specialist infrastructure, with three cardiac centres being developed at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and Tamale Teaching Hospital.
It is also supporting efforts to expand diagnostic capacity. A new Diagnostic and Imaging Centre at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, being developed with support from KGL Group, is expected to house an MRI machine, CT scanner, mammography unit, X-ray machine and fluoroscopy equipment.
According to the Fund, the objective is not only to help patients pay medical bills, but also to strengthen the health system so that patients can be diagnosed and treated with the appropriate equipment and specialist expertise.
The Ghana Medical Trust Fund currently focuses on four major areas of intervention: financial support for approved patients accessing specialised care, investment in medical equipment and infrastructure, specialist training, and support for medical research relevant to chronic disease care.
By: Bure Doreen Alekuu Zunome | Metrotvonline.com | Ghana
