President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday commissioned the state-of-the-art Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography (PET-CT) scan for cancer diagnosis and treatment at the Sweden Ghana Medical Centre (SGMC) in Accra.
PET-CT scan is an advanced imaging test that combines metabolic and structural information to accurately diagnose and monitor diseases like cancer.
SGMC, a state-of- the-art oncology Centre and the leading cancer care provided in West Africa was acquired by the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) in 2020.
President Mahama congratulated GNAT and the Management of the Sweden Ghana Medical Centre for this remarkable and patriotic achievement.
He said the commissioning of the facility was not merely the unveiling of a machine but marked the beginning of a new chapter in Ghana’s healthcare journey, which anchored in innovation, accessibility, scientific advancement, and renewed hope for Ghanaians.
“This facility marks a significant step forward in our collective effort to modernise healthcare delivery and ensure that Ghanaians have access to world-class medical diagnostics rights here at home,” he said.
President Mahama noted that PET-CT scan represented one of the most advanced frontiers in modern medicine, while conventional imaging technologies enabled them to view the structure of the human body.
He said the PET technology helped medical professionals to understand how the body functioned at the cellular and metabolic levels, explaining that diseases, particularly cancers, could be detected much earlier, stage more accurately, and monitor more effectively even during treatment.
“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.”
President Mahama said beyond oncology, PET imaging would support the diagnosis and management of neurological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and other complex medical conditions.
“It is therefore not only an investment in technology, but also in life saving.”
The President said for far too long many Ghanaians, requiring advanced diagnosis services of this nature, had had to travel abroad often at an enormous financial, emotional, and psychological cost, to them and their families.
He said families had to raise substantial sums of money for overseas medical referrals and that patients had endured delayed diagnosis and treatment, because the necessary technology was unavailable locally.
“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 sub region.” The President stated.
He said, he envisions people coming from Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Togo, Burkina Faso, and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) to come and seek specialist medical diagnosis at the SGMC.
President Mahama said with this facility now operational, world-class diagnostic services were no longer out of reach; saying, “They are available here in Ghana for the benefits of our people”.
“This is how nations build healthcare sovereignty. By deliberately investing in infrastructure, technology, human capital, and institutional partnerships that place citizens at the center of development.”
President Mahama urged the private sector to emulate GNAT’s example and invest in advanced medical care facilities to supplement the Government’s efforts to make Ghana a center for medical tourism.
He noted that it would improve the position and effectiveness of treatment decisions, support real-time monitoring of patient outcomes, and reduce the burden of seeking medical care abroad.
“It will lower health care costs for families over time and will position Ghana as a regional hub for advanced medical diagnostics and specialized health care,” the President said.
President Mahama urged health professionals at the SGMC to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, excellence, integrity, and compassion.
“The lives and hopes of many Ghanaians will depend on your dedication and service,” he said.
“As custodians of this important national asset, you bear profound responsibility to ensure that this facility sets all who need it with efficiency, dignity, and care.”
He said the facility would be registered under the Mahama Care Fund as one of the recognized oncology centres for the treatment of cancer patients.
He said cancer patients who come to the SGMC for treatment would be covered under the Ghana Medical Trust Fund.
Mr Prosper Tachie, the President of GNAT, appealed to the President for the Centre to be made one of the service providers of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund.
