The Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF) has inaugurated a reconstructed and expanded Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at the National Cardiothoracic Centre of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, restoring one of Ghana’s key lifesaving medical facilities less than a year after it was destroyed by fire.

The inauguration marks the return of critical cardiac services for thousands of Ghanaians living with cardiovascular diseases and highlights renewed efforts to strengthen specialist healthcare infrastructure in the country.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Administrator of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, described the occasion as a significant moment in Ghana’s healthcare journey.

“Every nation, in its journey, will face a moment that tests not its resources, but its resolve. Today, Ghana answers that test,” she said, adding that the country had gathered “to restore a lifeline, reclaim a critical pillar of our national health security, and affirm that we do not abandon what saves lives.”

The original Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, commissioned in January 2017 by former President John Dramani Mahama, transformed cardiac care in Ghana by enabling complex heart procedures that previously required patients to seek treatment abroad.

However, the facility was destroyed by a devastating fire on March 7, 2025, disrupting emergency cardiac interventions at the country’s premier referral hospital.

Following an assessment visit in January 2026, the Ghana Medical Trust Fund decided not only to rebuild the laboratory but also to establish a more advanced facility capable of responding to the growing burden of cardiovascular diseases.

Reconstruction began on February 17, 2026, and within five months, the upgraded laboratory was completed and ready to serve patients.

According to Ms Darko-Opoku, the new facility is “not a replica of what was lost,” but “a superior successor” with improved technology, increased capacity, and enhanced capabilities to provide faster and safer cardiac care.

The facility is expected to resume operations with a landmark cardiac intervention programme beginning July 12, in collaboration with the National Cardiothoracic Centre, specialist cardiologists from the United States, the Mount Carmel Foundation, Africa World Airlines, and the Ghana Medical Trust Fund.

Thirty patients selected from across the country are expected to undergo complex Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device procedures as part of the initiative.

The project reflects the broader mandate of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, which supports patients with chronic non-communicable diseases while investing in specialist training, modern medical infrastructure, and research.

Ms Darko-Opoku commended President John Dramani Mahama for the leadership that supported the reconstruction, noting that the facility represents more than infrastructure and equipment.

“This Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory is where science meets compassion, where expertise meets equity, and where families can receive lifesaving care with dignity,” she said.

The reconstructed Cath Lab at Korle Bu is expected to serve as a symbol of improved access to quality cardiac care and Ghana’s growing capacity to provide specialised medical services locally.

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