Administrator of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF), Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, has challenged mining companies to rethink their social responsibility by investing in healthcare systems in their host communities.

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She made the call at the National Mining Dialogue 2026 in Accra, held under the theme “Rethinking the Social License to Operate.”

Addressing mining executives, investors and policymakers, Ms Darko-Opoku argued that Ghana’s greatest resource is its people.

“You do not extract value from the soil. You extract value through people.”

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She warned that weaknesses in the country’s healthcare system can affect everyone, regardless of wealth.

“At 2:00 AM, money cannot buy time. In a medical emergency, your wealth does not save you; the infrastructure nearest to you does.”

Ms Darko-Opoku said families can spend decades building their lives, only for a serious illness such as cancer to wipe out their savings.

She said the situation is even more difficult for people outside Accra who have to travel long distances to access specialised treatment.

By the time they reach facilities capable of providing the needed care, she said, “the family is financially ruined, the patient is significantly weaker, and the cost of treatment has doubled.”

The GMTF Administrator also cited findings from a nationwide needs assessment conducted across teaching, regional and referral hospitals.

📰 Source: Joy Online Ghana