'Gold cannot save you at 2am': GMTF Administrator challenges mining giants to invest in healthcare

Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, Administrator of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF), issued a strong call to Ghana's mining industry, urging a shift in corporate social responsibility to prioritize healthcare investments. Speaking at the National Mining Dialogue 2026 in Accra, she challenged executives and policymakers to recognize that the nation's true wealth resides in its people, not just in the minerals beneath the soil.

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You do not extract value from the soil. You extract value through people.

"You do not extract value from the soil. You extract value through people," Darko-Opoku stated, emphasizing that the health of the populace is fundamental to the success of all industries, including mining. She cautioned against the illusion that wealth offers immunity from healthcare challenges, illustrating with the scenario of a medical emergency where proximity to adequate facilities, not personal fortune, determines the outcome. "At 2am, money cannot buy time. In a medical emergency, your wealth does not save you; the infrastructure nearest to you does," she asserted.

Darko-Opoku shared findings from a nationwide needs assessment revealing alarming deficiencies in Ghana's public tertiary healthcare sector. The report indicated only two functional MRI machines, five mammogram machines, and two public radiotherapy machines for cancer treatment across the country. The vast northern sector, serving millions, has just two practicing cardiologists without adequate equipment. These shortages, she noted, have devastating human consequences, often leading to families being financially ruined and patients critically weakened by the time they can access necessary care.

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At 2am, money cannot buy time. In a medical emergency, your wealth does not save you; the infrastructure nearest to you does.

The GMTF Administrator called for a redefined "Social License to Operate" for mining companies. While acknowledging past contributions through projects like schools and boreholes, she argued that the standard must be raised. "A true Social License cannot simply mean, 'The community tolerates our presence.' It must mean, 'Because this company operates here, our people live longer, healthier lives,'" she declared, advocating for a commitment that demonstrably improves the health and longevity of the communities where mining operations are based.

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A true Social License cannot simply mean, 'The community tolerates our presence.' It must mean, 'Because this company operates here, our people live longer, healthier lives,'