Marie Francois, Chief Nursing Officer and member of the Promise Team at Mary Global Health, has urged government agencies, private sector players, NGOs, donors, and faith-based organizations to support the organization’s mission to expand healthcare access across the country.
Speaking on Good Health on Radio Univers, she explained that Mary Global Health is deploying innovative tools—including its Telehealth 2.0 system and Patient Access Terminals (PATs)—to make quality healthcare more accessible to rural and underserved communities.
“Our goal is to provide dignified, accessible, and affordable healthcare so that anyone—whether in Twifo Praso, the Northern Region, or any rural area—can get timely care,” she said.
Francois stressed the urgency of widening access, pointing to the deep disparity in the distribution of medical resources. She noted that many patients in remote communities often spend an entire day at healthcare facilities just to receive basic treatment.
“You will probably spend your entire day in the hospital, which takes up much time and resources,” she explained.
This challenge, she added, is worsened by the heavy concentration of healthcare professionals in the capital. Citing recent data, she noted that more than half of Ghana’s medical professionals are based in Accra.
“The Health Minister recently talked about how 50% of our medical professionals are actually in Accra, providing healthcare,” she said.
Marie Francois emphasised that Mary Global Health aims to reduce these disparities by offering systems that cut queues and enhance access. She added that the organization’s Patient Access Terminals are equipped with sensors, algorithms, backup power, and solar energy, ensuring that patients in remote communities can receive care even without internet connectivity.
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Story by Sandra Moses| univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Deborah Owusu
