The Ghana Medical Trust Fund, known as MahamaCares, has received a total of GH₵6.1 million from President John Dramani Mahama, presidential appointees, and staffers at the Office of the President as part of a voluntary salary donation initiative to support the treatment of non-communicable diseases.
The amount was formally presented at a ceremony held on June 15, 2026, at Jubilee House, where the Deputy Chief of Staff (Administration), Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, delivered the welcome remarks and underscored the human impact behind the initiative.
She invited participants to reflect on the burden many Ghanaian families face when dealing with chronic illnesses such as cancer, kidney failure, and diabetes.
“Picture your aunt the one who raised you when your parents could not. She has been battling kidney failure for two years. Every week she needs dialysis… and some days, she misses her session, and you hold her hand and watch her suffer, knowing that somewhere out there, the treatment exists it is just beyond her reach,” she said.
She also highlighted the struggles of young patients battling cancer, adding that many families are pushed into financial distress in their attempt to save loved ones.
“He is not asking for a miracle. He is asking for a fighting chance. He is asking for a system that says: we see you, and we will not leave you behind,” she added.
According to her, non-communicable diseases now account for a significant proportion of deaths in Ghana, stressing that the initiative seeks to bridge the gap in healthcare financing for conditions not fully covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme.
The Ghana Medical Trust Fund was launched by President Mahama on April 29, 2025, as a dedicated intervention to support patients suffering from cancers, cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney failure requiring dialysis, stroke, diabetes, hypertension, and sickle cell disease.
At the launch, the President reportedly pledged six months of his salary as seed funding and called on appointees and staffers to contribute one month of their salaries in support of the Fund under what has been described as the “Reset Agenda.”
In her remarks, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo noted that the contributions reflected a shared sacrifice by government officials.
“These salary donations came with real sacrifices. Bills that had to wait. Plans that had to be deferred. Commitments that had to be renegotiated. We knew the cost, and we paid it anyway,” she said.
The Controller and Accountant-General has already transferred the GH₵6.1 million into the MahamaCares Fund, combining the President’s contribution, donations from appointees and staffers, as well as deductions from officers who failed to meet asset declaration requirements.
She emphasized that the funds will directly support life-saving treatments for vulnerable patients across the country.
“Every cedi we are presenting today will go towards putting a smile on someone’s face… It will fund a cancer patient’s next round of chemotherapy. It will pay for a dialysis session for someone whose family has run out of options,” she stated.
She added that the initiative represents a broader vision of leadership rooted in sacrifice and public service.
“Together, we are walking the talk. Together, we are the Reset Agenda in action,” she concluded.
MahamaCares is expected to play a major role in reducing the financial burden of long-term treatment for non-communicable diseases in Ghana, which health authorities say continue to place significant pressure on households nationwide.
Source: Mubarak Yakubu
