The Ghana Med­ical Trust Fund, popularly known as MahamaCares, has taken delivery of assorted medi­cal supplies worth over GH¢2 mil­lion donated by the Pharmaceuti­cal Manufacturers Association of Ghana (PMAG) in Accra.The donation, made last Friday, included a range of essential medications such as pain relievers, antibiotics, anti-malarials, blood tonics, anti-diabetics, and drugs for cardiovascular and asthma management.The supplies are intended to support the treatment of chron­ic conditions under the health initiative when it becomes fully operational.Presenting the items, PMAG President, Dr Samuel Amoh Tobbin, said the gesture reaffirms the association's commitment to strengthening Ghana's healthcare system."We believe the Ma­hamaCares initiative presents a timely opportunity to showcase the strength of the local pharmaceu­tical industry in driving economic growth.

This donation is not just about medicines; it is about restor­ing hope to many Ghanaians in need," he emphasised.Dr Tobbin appealed to the gov­ernment to increase investment in the local pharmaceutical manufac­turing sector in order to reduce the country's dependence on imported medicines."We urge government support to enable us to meet at least 60 per cent of the country's pharmaceu­tical needs locally.

When we invest in local solutions, we empower our people and secure our health systems for current and future gen­erations," he appealed.Minister for Health, Mr Kwabe­na Mintah Akandoh, who received the donation, expressed apprecia­tion to PMAG and assured that the medications would be distributed to designated health facilities under the initiative.He described the pharmaceutical sector as a vital partner in building a resilient health system and reit­erated the government's commit­ment to developing a vibrant local pharmaceutical industry."It is the President's vision to position Ghana as a pharma­ceutical hub, and this cannot be achieved without strong collabora­tion with local manufacturers.You will play a very active role in this government; from Ma­hamaCares to the implementation of Free Primary Healthcare," he underlined.The Minister noted that the heavy reliance on imported medicines undermines economic stability, emphasising the need to build local capacity."Without local production of pharmaceutical products, free pri­mary healthcare will remain costly.

Importing medicines requires us to exchange currency, which weakens our local currency and economy.We are, therefore, committed to providing the support needed for you to thrive," he added.Launched in April this year, Ma­hamaCares is a flagship health initiative designed to address the growing burden of chron­ic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Ghana.It aims to provide financial assistance to patients requiring specialist care for conditions such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney failure, stroke, and related complications.The initiative will also be ex­panded to cover convalescent care, palliative services, and home-based support.Currently, a draft bill outlining the fund's management framework is currently awaiting parliamentary approval.Full implementation of the pro­gramme is expected to commence once the bill is passed.FROM YAHAYA NUHU NADAA, TAMALE