The Director-General of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), Mohammed Abdul Salam, has pledged the Authority’s commitment to collaborate with the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF) in providing sustainable support for regional and teaching hospitals across Ghana.
This assurance came during a courtesy visit by Obuobia Darko-Opoku, Administrator of the GMTF, and her team to the NLA leadership on Wednesday, October 22, to explore partnership opportunities aimed at improving healthcare delivery.
Obuobia Darko-Opoku highlighted the dire state of health facilities nationwide, noting the lack of essential diagnostic and treatment equipment such as MRI and CT scanners, dialysis machines, and breast screening units.
She explained that the Fund, established under Act 114, has begun a comprehensive needs assessment of all six teaching hospitals and ten regional hospitals, revealing critical gaps in equipment and infrastructure that demand immediate attention.
“Our health facilities are on their knees, and we can no longer pretend about it,” she said. “The Government alone cannot carry the burden. We are inviting corporate institutions to partner with us in retooling our hospitals so that together we can make a lasting difference.”
She urged the NLA to consider adopting hospital projects as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, stressing that such collaborations would have a tangible impact on Ghana’s healthcare system.
In response, Mr. Abdul-Salam commended the Fund’s efforts and reaffirmed the NLA’s readiness to collaborate. He said the Authority would explore structured, regular contributions to the Fund through its CSR framework.
“If we treat healthcare funding as a shared responsibility, we can achieve great things together,” he said. “Supporting the Ghana Medical Trust Fund aligns perfectly with our CSR objectives. We could even adopt one project at a time and see it through to completion.”
He further noted that partnerships like this embody the NLA’s mission of using lottery proceeds to support national development and improve the well-being of Ghanaians.
Deputy Director-General Eric Yeboah Wadie expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, emphasizing that the NLA stands ready to back initiatives that make a measurable difference in people’s lives.
Both institutions reaffirmed their shared goal of enhancing healthcare access and improving the quality of life for citizens across Ghana.