President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans to end the long-standing practice of referring Ghanaians abroad for costly medical diagnostic services, saying the country must build a healthcare system capable of providing advanced treatment locally.

Speaking during the commissioning of a new Sweden Ghana Medical Centre (SGMC) PET scan facility in Accra on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, President Mahama said the lack of advanced medical technology in Ghana has forced many families to spend enormous sums seeking treatment overseas.

According to him, patients have also endured significant emotional and psychological stress due to delays in diagnosis and treatment caused by the absence of specialised medical equipment in the country.

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“For far too long, many Ghanaians requiring advanced medical services of this nature have had to travel abroad, often at enormous financial, emotional and psychological cost to themselves and their families,” he stated.

He noted that families have had to mobilise substantial financial resources to pay for overseas referrals while patients waited for critical diagnoses because the necessary technology was unavailable in Ghana.

President Mahama described the commissioning of the PET scan facility as a major milestone in Ghana’s healthcare development agenda, saying it would significantly improve access to advanced diagnostic services for patients across the country.

He stressed that the government remains committed to strengthening healthcare delivery and reducing Ghana’s dependence on medical travel abroad by investing in modern medical infrastructure and specialised services locally.

“Today, we make a bold national statement that this facility should not only eliminate the need for Ghanaians to seek such services abroad, but also position Ghana as a hub for specialised medical services within the West African sub-region,” he said.

President Mahama added that facilities of this nature would spare families the burden of expensive foreign treatment while establishing Ghana as a leading destination for specialised healthcare services in West Africa.

SO/MA

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