The Christian Council of Ghana has thrown its full weight behind the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF), pledging to become a strong advocate for the Trust Fund and help mobilise nationwide support for its mission to save the lives of Ghanaians who cannot afford critical medical care.
Executive Secretary of the Council, Rev. Dr. Cyril G. K. Fayose, says the Council considers the work of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund an extension of the Christian responsibility to care for the sick and alleviate human suffering.
Speaking during a meeting with the leadership of GMTF led by its Administrator, Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku and a member of the Board of Directors, Hon. Alfred Nii Kotey Ashie, Rev. Dr. Fayose declared that the Christian Council had “caught the back” of the Trust Fund and would support it “through and through.”
According to him, the work of the Trust Fund reflects the healing ministry of Jesus Christ, who reached out to the sick, restored hope and brought relief to people in pain.
“For us, this is the work of God. Jesus Christ went about healing the sick and alleviating the pain and suffering of people. When you provide treatment and hope to someone who otherwise could not afford medical care, you are doing a work that is at the very heart of our Christian calling,” he said.
Rev. Dr. Fayose noted that the Council’s support for the initiative was not new, revealing that the Christian Council was consulted during the conception of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund and therefore understood its importance and potential to transform lives.
He praised the leadership of the Trust Fund, particularly its Administrator, Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, for the progress made within just a year of the institution’s existence.
The Executive Secretary said the stories of patients receiving life-saving treatment through the Trust Fund demonstrate why Ghanaians, churches, corporate institutions and philanthropists must rally behind it.
The Christian Council, he pledged, would become one of the “crusaders” of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, using its extensive network of churches and congregations to tell the Trust Fund’s story, create awareness about its impact and encourage donations to enable it to reach more patients.
“No Ghanaian Should Die Because They Cannot Afford Treatment”
Addressing the Council, Administrator of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, said the Trust Fund was founded on one fundamental conviction: no Ghanaian should lose their life simply because they cannot afford or access the medical care they need.
She painted the painful reality of families exhausting their savings on medical bills, parents being forced to choose between treatment and other basic necessities, and patients delaying critical care because they are frightened by the cost.
“Sometimes, the difference between someone receiving treatment and losing their life is simply the availability of financial support at the right time. This is the gap that the Ghana Medical Trust Fund seeks to help address,” she said.
Ms. Darko-Opoku described the Christian Council as a natural and strategic partner because of the Church’s enormous reach, credibility and longstanding contribution to healthcare, education and social development in Ghana.
She said beyond raising awareness, churches could help mobilise congregations, support fundraising efforts and strengthen a national culture in which Ghanaians recognise that saving lives is a collective responsibility.
She challenged the Christian community to help build a Ghana where churches can confidently say:
“If there is someone among us who needs life-saving medical care and cannot afford it, we will not look away.”
The Administrator stressed that the Ghana Medical Trust Fund is not intended to replace existing healthcare financing arrangements but to complement them and close critical gaps that continue to deny vulnerable people access to specialised treatment.
