History will be kind to John Mahama: Why do I say so?

The launch of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (Mahama cares Initiative) is sensitive and responsive to emerging health patterns.

Over the years, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has tilted towards primary healthcare, universal health coverage i.e. provision of essential drugs for treatment of common illnesses, disease prevention, maternal and child health and family planning, health education and health promotion etc .

NHIS largely focused on common illnesses like malaria, common respiratory illnesses and others.

Our current financing of healthcare has not been able to significantly include recent health trends typically comprising hypertension, Diabetes, complex respiratory illnesses, cancers, terminal cardiovascular and renal diseases.

This trend is largely as a result of lifestyle changes and what have you. 43% of mortalities (deaths) are now caused by these illnesses. While the need for education on lifestyle changes cannot be overemphasized, it is important that financing measures are put in place to cushion our compatriots who have been afflicted by these illnesses as they are closer to us more than we can imagine.

It is estimated that one needs an average of GHS 53,000 cedis to fund treatment of these non-communicable diseases (NCD) annually which will literally be a death sentence for many.

Hypertension and diabetes alone have a natural history of ending up in organ failure, which treatment and management is not covered by health insurance yet are the precursors of major terminal illnesses like stroke, kidney failure, heart failure.

The treatment of cancers through surgical means, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are not funded by NHIS, the Mahama Cares initiative has come in handy to provide necessary support in that regard.

As a professional, I have seen firsthand well to do / affluent people suddenly become paupers in just few years after having to fund renal and cardiovascular illness. The need for funding support has come at the right time and I commend President Mahama for this initiative, posterity will be kind to him.

The Ghana Medical Trust Fund has come to stay. It has come to fund the longevity of Ghanaians!!!

Thank you to President Mahama.

By: Dr. Sammy Ayeh – Government Communications Office.

The post History will be kind to John Mahama: Why do I say so? first appeared on 3News.

Read Full Story