Bolgatanga:Dr. Victor Dassah, a Surgeon at the Upper East Regional Hospital, has praised the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF) for its contributions to cancer patients. The fund has been instrumental in alleviating both the financial and emotional challenges associated with cancer treatment, providing much-needed relief to patients who previously faced barriers to accessing further care due to financial constraints.
According to Ghana News Agency, Dr. Dassah highlighted the fund's impact during a gathering organized by the GMTF for partners, specialists, and hospital management in Bolgatanga. He revealed that 14 breast cancer patients and one prostate cancer patient have been enrolled in the fund at the hospital so far. Dr. Dassah expressed gratitude towards the fund's management for including cancer care in their programs, emphasizing the significant relief it offers to patients unable to finance their treatment.
Dr. Dassah noted that some patients had delayed seeking further treatment for extended periods due to cost concerns. He cited a case where a patient was unable to continue treatment for nearly a year but has since been enrolled in the program, allowing her to receive the necessary approvals for management and treatment.
The GMTF, also known as MahamaCares, has restored hope among beneficiaries, many of whom have expressed their gratitude. Dr. Dassah pointed out that the financial burden of healthcare could be overwhelming even for medical professionals, underscoring the importance of recognizing the difficulties patients face when required to pay for medical services.
He commended the fund's management for streamlining the patient enrollment process, which has become more efficient, reducing the time it takes to enroll patients to less than 24 hours in most cases. Despite these advancements, Dr. Dassah called for additional support to address infrastructure and diagnostic gaps that affect comprehensive cancer care. He emphasized the need for the hospital to enhance its capacity for histopathology and chemotherapy to provide more comprehensive care and reduce referrals.
Dr. Dassah remains hopeful that addressing these challenges will enhance access to timely cancer diagnosis and treatment, lessen the financial burden on patients, and strengthen the hospital's ability to deliver specialized healthcare.