Ghana’s public hospitals have only two functional MRI machines for the entire country. That’s one of the shocking findings from a nationwide needs assessment by the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, better known as MahamaCares.
The fund’s administrator, Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, revealed the numbers on Monday in Accra. She spoke at a ceremony where a cheque for GH¢6.1 million was handed over at the Office of the President.
Beyond the two MRI machines, the assessment found just five mammogram machines and two radiotherapy machines in public health facilities. The situation is even worse in the north — only two cardiologists serve the whole northern region.
“Access to specialised healthcare shouldn’t depend on where you’re coming from, your need, or your income,” Darko-Opoku said.
The GH¢6.1 million donation came from President John Dramani Mahama’s six-month salary, one-month salary donations from presidential appointees and staff, and deductions from officials who missed the asset declaration deadline. Deputy Chief of Staff Nana Oye Bampoe Addo said more contributions are expected from appointees who still haven’t declared their assets.
The assessment was done shortly after the fund was set up. It exposed major gaps in the country’s ability to diagnose and treat chronic non-communicable diseases. Darko-Opoku said the findings shaped the fund’s four strategic pillars: patient support, infrastructure and equipment, workforce development, and medical research.
Work has already started on three cardiology centres at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, and Tamale Teaching Hospital. Dialysis machines and intensive care unit equipment are also being sent to hospitals across the country.
“Our vision is that within a few years, every region in Ghana will have at least 10 specialists to provide advanced care for people living with chronic diseases,” Darko-Opoku said.
A pilot phase has already financed surgeries and chemotherapy for 50 patients. The nationwide rollout of patient support services begins this month in 29 hospitals.
Nana Oye Bampoe Addo said the demand for chronic disease treatment is rising fast. She cited one health facility that recorded 5,000 new diabetes referrals in just the first half of 2025.
“These aren’t just statistics; they’re our people, our family, our relatives,” she said.
The fund needs about GH¢3 billion annually for its first three years. Parliament approved GH¢2.9 billion for 2025 under the Ghana Medical Trust Fund Act, 2025 (Act 1144).
Both Darko-Opoku and Nana Oye Bampoe Addo appealed to Ghanaians, corporate bodies, and philanthropic organisations to donate more.
“The fight against chronic non-communicable disease belongs to all of us. History will remember us for the lives we touched, not what positions we held,” Darko-Opoku said.