The Paediatric Oncology Unit of the Ho Teaching Hospital (HTH) was filled with joy and relief after the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, under the MahamaCares initiative, fully covered the cancer treatment costs of a four-year-old girl battling kidney cancer.

The beneficiary, Elsa Klabi, a native of Kpando in the Volta Region, received financial support amounting to GH¢46,000, covering chemotherapy, supportive care, and surgery. The intervention has enabled doctors to proceed with a life-saving operation that had been delayed for months due to financial constraints.

Elsa was diagnosed with a large intra-abdominal mass caused by Wilms’ Tumour, a childhood cancer that affects the kidney. She had been on admission at the Ho Teaching Hospital for about six months, enduring severe pain while her family struggled to raise funds for the urgently required surgery.

Upon receiving confirmation of the funding support, Elsa’s mother, Ms Esther Addeh, became emotional and broke down in tears as she expressed profound gratitude to the government for what she described as a timely intervention that saved her daughter’s life.

Speaking on the case, Dr Kokou Amegan-Aho, a Paediatric Oncologist at the Ho Teaching Hospital, explained that Elsa’s treatment, including surgery, had been postponed due to the family’s inability to afford the cost of care. He noted that the intervention by MahamaCares made it possible for the medical team to proceed with the necessary procedures.

Ms Addeh, a petty trader, revealed that she had earlier appealed for support through social media, drawing the attention of the Volta Regional Minister, Mr James Gunu. According to her, the minister’s intervention led to discussions with the Chief Executive Officer of the Ho Teaching Hospital, Dr Hintermann K.K. Mbroh, which subsequently resulted in MahamaCares covering the full cost of Elsa’s treatment.

She stressed that without the support from MahamaCares, her family would not have been able to afford the surgery or the associated medical care.

“This support has saved my daughter’s life. I am deeply grateful to the Government and everyone behind MahamaCares,” she said.

The Ho Teaching Hospital has commended the government for the foresight, compassion, and commitment demonstrated through the MahamaCares initiative, describing it as a critical lifeline for vulnerable patients requiring specialised and costly medical treatment.

The intervention underscores the transformative impact of MahamaCares in promoting equitable access to life-saving healthcare, particularly for children and families facing severe financial hardship.