Mahama Commissions Ghana’s First State-of-the-Art PET Scan Facility in Accra

Added: 2026-05-20

[00:00:00]I'm happy you know tough.

[00:00:02]Um, the request that were made in terms of tax exemptions.

[00:00:06]Uh, with regards to tax exemptions, blanket tax exemptions are no longer given. It's on a case-by-case basis. So, um, if you order any medical equipment, you can apply for exemption on those equipment and I can assure you that we'll look at it very favorably.

[00:00:22]With regards to the comments made by the honorable minister, we uh, initiating 2,000 projects and often people confuse the two.

[00:00:33]Uh, Teacher Dabere is a housing project that is geared towards providing housing on school campuses for teachers who are teaching in those schools.

[00:00:47]And so, we want to make sure that when teachers go to, uh, are posted to a school, they're able to get accommodation, uh, to live on the campus rather than commute from town to school every day.

[00:00:59]Then, we have a second housing project and that one, uh, we're also going to collaborate with NAT Republic Bank and, uh, State Housing Corporation TDC and a few of the, um, housing companies. And that one is supposed to provide mortgages to, uh, professionals, including teachers.

[00:01:19]And so, we're going to set up a 3 billion CD fund.

[00:01:24]Republic Bank will contribute, Government of Ghana will contribute, NAT will contribute and we will give the money to SHC TDC and solid real estate developers to build the houses.

[00:01:38]The houses will be designated in CDs, not in dollars.

[00:01:41]And NAT and other professional, uh, bodies can uh, your members can take mortgages on those houses. And so, if you have a certain number of years ahead of you, you can take a mortgage on the house, you pay a down payment and then the rest will take from your salary over the years. So, by the time you reach retirement age, you don't go to your family house and quarrel over which was your grandmother's room or your grandfather's room. You will have a place to go and lay your head. So, these are the housing projects we are we are discussing.

[00:02:14]But, let me go to what brought us here.

[00:02:17]And let me salute the honorable Haruna Iddrisu, our hardworking Minister of Education.

[00:02:22]To salute my senior brother lordship Justice Isaac Duose who is our chairman for today's event, a former Justice of the Court of Appeal.

[00:02:33]I want to acknowledge senior government officials who are here, board chairman, members, and senior management of the Sweden Ghana Medical Center, leadership of the Ghana Association of Teachers, friends from the media, and good people of Ghana.

[00:02:48]This will be the second time I have come here.

[00:02:51]I remember many years ago, I think in 2013 or thereabouts, I was here with President Kufuor at the time that this center was established.

[00:03:03]And we came to commission it. And I remember that at that time, there was just this building to our left there. Inside the commissioning, we entered and inspected it.

[00:03:13]And it was a very isolated facility because there were no buildings anywhere. All the way from School Junction to this place was bush completely.

[00:03:26]Nuts, I'm told, acquired it in about 2020. And since then, you have set out to expand it and add more facilities to the center. I want to congratulate you for that.

[00:03:37]And like I said, Ofori Panin this is not the first achievement of Nuts. I remember when we were looking for a partner to take over Aviance, which is a ground handling company at the airport, it was Nuts that stepped forward and bought the shares and today owns Aviance Ghana Limited. And then again, you yourself set up financial your credit mall, a unique insurance. I mean, I could mention so many. And when I talk about your shareholdings, you have some of the the biggest shares in SSB, Ecobank. I mean, just name all the class A businesses and NTH has a foothold there.

[00:04:17]And so, you've done very well and I want to commend you for that.

[00:04:22]But today, we're here because of the PET CT scan.

[00:04:25]And there is with great honor and a profound sense of national pride that I join you this morning for the commissioning of this state-of-the-art positron emission tomography scan facility here in Accra.

[00:04:40]Today's event is not merely the unveiling of a machine. It marks the beginning of a new chapter in Ghana's health care journey.

[00:04:47]One that is anchored in innovation, accessibility, scientific advancement, and renewed hope for our people.

[00:04:55]This facility marks a significant step forward in our collective effort to modernize health care delivery and ensure that Ghanaians have access to world-class medical diagnostics right here at home.

[00:05:08]Ladies and gentlemen, a PET scan represents one of the most advanced frontiers in modern medicine.

[00:05:16]While conventional imaging technologies enable us to view the structure of the human body, PET CT technology goes several steps further by helping medical professionals understand how the body functions at the at the cellular and metabolic levels.

[00:05:33]This means diseases, particularly cancers, can be detected much earlier, staged more accurately, and monitored more effectively even during treatment.

[00:05:45]Simply put, while other technologies may show where a problem exists, PET scans help determine the severity of the condition, how aggressively the condition is progressing, and whether treatment interventions are working or not.

[00:06:01]And that is what makes this technology indispensable in modern precision-based health care.

[00:06:08]Beyond oncology, PET imaging also supports the diagnosis and management of neurological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and other complex medical conditions.

[00:06:20]It is therefore not only an investment in technology, but also in life saving.

[00:06:26]Distinguished guests, for far too long, many Ghanaians requiring advanced diagnostic services of this nature have had to travel abroad, often at an enormous financial, emotional, and psychological cost to them and their families.

[00:06:42]Families have had to raise substantial sums of money for overseas medical referrals.

[00:06:47]Patients have endured delay in diagnosis and treatment because the necessary technology was unavailable locally.

[00:06:56]Today, we make a bold national statement that this facility must not only make it unnecessary for Ghanaians to seek such services abroad, but also make Ghana a hub for specialist medical services in our West African subregion.

[00:07:14]So, I envision people coming from Côte d'Ivoire, from Nigeria, from Togo, from Burkina Faso, and the AES states to come and seek um specialist medical diagnosis here at the SGMH.

[00:07:31]With this facility now operational, world-class diagnostic services are no longer out of reach.

[00:07:37]They're available here in Ghana for the benefit of our people.

[00:07:41]This is how nations build health care sovereignty by deliberately investing in infrastructure, technology, human capital, and institutional partnerships that place citizens at the center of development.

[00:07:54]We invite the private sector to emulate NAT's example and invest in advanced medical care facilities to supplement the government's effort to make Ghana a center for medical tourism.

[00:08:09]Government is investing in improving the quality of health care for our people.

[00:08:13]We have commenced the procurement processes for the construction of three new regional hospitals in three of the newly created regions to improve health care outcomes for the people who live there.

[00:08:26]And by the end of 2028, we'll provide three more regional hospitals for the remaining three new regions.

[00:08:35]We recently procured three new catheterization laboratories, uh popularly called cath labs, for Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, for Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, and for Tamale Teaching Hospital.

[00:08:49]These labs will improve the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular conditions in the south, center, and northern parts of our country.

[00:08:58]At the Tamale Teaching Hospital, we're also building a new cardiothoracic center to save heart disease patients from traveling all the way to Kumasi and Accra to seek treatment.

[00:09:09]The Volta Regional Hospital and the Cape Coast Hospital will also have new cardio centers built to cater for patients in the eastern and western parts of our country.

[00:09:20]At this juncture, I wish to warmly commend the leadership of the Ghana National Association of Teachers for this visionary initiative.

[00:09:29]NAT has demonstrated that its commitment to teachers extends just beyond advocacy and labor concerns to include their overall health, their dignity, and their well-being.

[00:09:42]Indeed, this investment sends a powerful message that the health of our teachers is directly linked to the health and future of our nation.

[00:09:52]When teachers are healthy and supported, our classrooms become stronger, our educational outcomes improve, and our national future becomes more secure.

[00:10:04]The SGMC stands as a compelling example of what can be achieved through strategic partnership, innovation, and a shared national purpose.

[00:10:13]It also highlights the important role that institutions such as NAT can play in complementing government's efforts to strengthen health care delivery across the country.

[00:10:24]This center could not have come at a better time.

[00:10:27]The treatment and diagnosis of cancer can be very expensive.

[00:10:31]Many families are impoverished when a member of the family is afflicted by a cancer.

[00:10:38]The establishment of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, also known as Mahama Care, aligns perfectly with the operationalization of SGMC and the PET scan we're commissioning today.

[00:10:51]This facility will be registered under the Mahama Care Fund as one of the recognized oncology centers for the treatment of cancer patients.

[00:11:02]And so, cancer patients who come here for treatment will be covered under the Ghana Medical Trust Fund.

[00:11:10]Let me digress a bit and speak about education.

[00:11:13]Education has always been the bedrock of national development.

[00:11:17]The commitment, sacrifice, and professionalism of our teachers have shaped every milestone Ghana has attained politically, socially, and economically.

[00:11:26]Behind every successful doctor, every successful engineer, entrepreneur, public servants, scientists, and let me add, behind every president, there stands a teacher who inspired, nurtured, and guided them on that journey.

[00:11:46]It is therefore our collective responsibility as a nation not only to honor our teachers, but also to deliberately invest in the systems that support effective teaching and learning.

[00:11:57]And I just emphasize a few of the issues that the Minister of Education uh touched on.

[00:12:03]In this regard, government has secured a $300 million facility from the World Bank to upgrade 50 senior high schools nationwide under the title Transformative Secondary Education Transformation for Access, Results, and Relevance for Jobs Initiative.

[00:12:21]And so, the acronym is STAR-J.

[00:12:25]S T A R R and then {dash} J.

[00:12:29]Under this project, 30 Category C senior high schools will be upgraded to Category B.

[00:12:39]20 Category B schools will be upgraded to Category A.

[00:12:43]This strategic investment is not simply about expanding I thought the plane took off over the sea. Why are they taking you off this way?

[00:13:05]This strategic investment is not simply about expanding infrastructure.

[00:13:10]It is fundamentally about promoting equity, improving quality, and widening opportunities for every Ghanaian child.

[00:13:18]The STAR-J project will also operationalize the community day school concept.

[00:13:22]New E-blocks are going to be built in urban and peri-urban communities. These are going to be community day schools.

[00:13:30]But, they're going to be built in urban communities where it is easy for the children to commute to school and back.

[00:13:36]So, what this means is that if we get some of the children to go to school within their communities, it will ease the pressure on the boarding schools that are elsewhere.

[00:13:49]So, this will help ease the growing pressure on boarding facilities and expand access to quality secondary education closer to urban families.

[00:13:59]Beyond access, the project places strong emphasis on improving quality across all senior high schools, including technical and vocational education and training institutions to ensure that education aligns with skills requirements of a modern competitive economy.

[00:14:17]As part of this initiative, all teachers in our secondary school will benefit from continuous professional development programs designed to sharpen their skills and improve classroom effectiveness.

[00:14:29]These programs will equip teachers with 21st century competencies, including digital literacy, critical thinking, innovative pedagogical approaches, artificial intelligence integration, and learner-centered teaching.

[00:14:45]Our objective is clear, to ensure that every teacher is not only well qualified, but also continuously empowered to deliver relevant high-quality education that prepares our young people not merely for examinations, for but for life, work, innovation, and national development.

[00:15:03]So, through STAR-G, we are laying the foundation for a more inclusive, resilient, and future-ready secondary education system in Ghana.

[00:15:11]The STAR-G project is going to assist Ghana government achieve its target of bringing an end to double track in our secondary school system by next year.

[00:15:23]By 2027, there should be no secondary school implementing a double track uh system in Ghana.

[00:15:30]This will also give teachers the time to rest and also to be able to prepare their notes and all their teaching and learning material.

[00:15:38]Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, recent reforms to career progression in the teaching service further demonstrates the government's commitment to improving teacher welfare, motivation, and professional development.

[00:15:50]Under the Public Services Commission's approved scheme of service, the government has introduced transformative measures to enhance career progression within the teaching profession.

[00:16:01]At the heart of this reform is the decoupling of ranks from positions.

[00:16:05]Advancement to senior rank such as Director 2 and Director 1 is no longer dependent on the availability of administrative positions.

[00:16:16]Teachers can now progress on merit, competence, experience, performance, and years of dedicated service with unrestricted career progression from Deputy Director to Deputy Director 1.

[00:16:30]This reform ensures that excellence in the classroom is recognized and rewarded whilst strengthening professionalism, morale, and dignity across the teaching service.

[00:16:41]Ladies and gentlemen, coming back to what has brought us here today, the significance of this facility cannot be overstated.

[00:16:49]It will enable the early detection of disease, particularly cancers.

[00:16:53]It will improve the precision and effectiveness of treatment decisions. It will support real-time monitoring of patient outcomes. It will reduce the burden of seeking medical care abroad.

[00:17:03]It will lower health cost health care cost for families over time and it will position Ghana as a regional hub for advanced medical diagnosis and specialized health care.

[00:17:15]This milestone fully aligns