The Administrator of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, Obuobia Darko-Opoku, has called on the National House of Chiefs to partner with the Fund to promote community education and raise public awareness about the health intervention.

Speaking at a meeting with the National House of Chiefs in Kumasi on Thursday, Ms Darko-Opoku said the influence and credibility of traditional leaders would be crucial in ensuring that people, particularly those in rural communities, understand the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, popularly known as Mahama Care.

She said many families living with chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) remain unaware of the support available through the Fund, while others are uncertain about the eligibility requirements.

To address this, she said the Trust Fund plans to undertake grassroots awareness campaigns, including community town hall meetings and local radio discussions, with the support of traditional authorities.

"Traditional leaders remain among the most trusted authorities within our communities. When the chiefs speak, the communities listen, and when chiefs champion an important national initiative, people embrace it with trust and confidence."

Ms Darko-Opoku said the increasing burden of chronic illnesses, including kidney disease requiring dialysis, cancer, stroke, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and sickle cell disease, continues to place significant financial pressure on many households.

She noted that some families are forced to deplete their savings or sell farms and other property to finance treatment for their relatives.

According to her, Mahama Care is built on four main pillars: direct financial support for patients, investment in medical equipment and health infrastructure, specialised training for healthcare professionals, and funding for medical research.

She said that since the passage of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund Act, the Fund has established its secretariat, constituted a governing board and recruited staff.

The Trust Fund has also undertaken a nationwide assessment of healthcare facilities to identify infrastructure gaps, introduced a digital platform to process patient claims, and begun piloting support for beneficiaries.

Ms Darko-Opoku added that the Fund is facilitating the establishment of three cardiac centres at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and the Tamale Teaching Hospital.

She appealed to the National House of Chiefs to help educate their communities and ensure that eligible Ghanaians are able to benefit from the initiative.

Responding, the President of the National House of Chiefs, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, urged traditional leaders, particularly Presidents of the Regional Houses of Chiefs, to support efforts to raise awareness about the Ghana Medical Trust Fund.

He, however, noted that the Fund's operational guidelines had not yet been finalised, making it difficult for chiefs to provide accurate information to their communities and effectively support the public education campaign.