110 children at Cardiothoracic Centre get second chance at life as Ghana Medical Trust Fund marks first year
For more than 110 children, the first anniversary of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF) represents more than a milestone. It is a second chance at life.
The Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF) marks its first year, providing a second chance at life for over 110 children at the National Cardiothoracic Centre in Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. The Fund supports more than 150 patients facing financial barriers to life-saving cardiac treatment, highlighting the impact on futures otherwise lost due to unaffordable medical care.
Dr Kow Entsua-Mensah, Head of the Centre, emphasizes that every patient is a human being whose life could have ended due to a family's inability to pay for treatment. The intervention is particularly significant for young patients diagnosed with severe heart conditions, offering them a chance to return to school, play with peers, and pursue education and vocational training.
With these opportunities, children can eventually contribute to Ghana's development, potentially becoming doctors, teachers, engineers, entrepreneurs, artists, or national leaders. The Fund has also revitalized critical infrastructure at the National Cardiothoracic Centre. Following a devastating fire in 2025 that destroyed the cardiac catheterisation laboratory, the GMTF rebuilt the facility with state-of-the-art equipment.
By July 2026, more than 60 patients had undergone complex lifesaving procedures at the new centre, with additional patients awaiting treatment. Dr Entsua-Mensah stresses that the impact extends beyond financial support, equipment acquisition, and surgical procedures. The intervention enables adults to return to work and children to grow, pursue their aspirations, and restore hope to families.
The Fund's reach extends beyond Korle Bu, with cardiology centres being developed at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi and Tamale Teaching Hospital. This expansion aims to reduce the need for patients with complex cardiac conditions to travel to Accra for specialised treatment. As the Fund enters its second year, Dr Entsua-Mensah envisions the realisation of a long-held dream for Ghana's specialist healthcare system—providing specialised cardiac care to more parts of the country.
For the 110 children receiving treatment, this unfolding dream means the simple opportunity to live, return to school, play, and grow into the adults they were meant to become.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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