Ghana Health Ministry Warns Public Against Fake Mercy Ships Fundraising Campaign

ACCRA, GHANA — Ghana’s Ministry of Health has warned the public about a fake Mercy Ships fundraising campaign broadcast on television that falsely asks for money to help patients get surgery on the charity’s hospital ship, the Ghanaian Times reported on 12 November.

The ministry said the campaign features an organisation called “HELP Save LIFE Foundation” and solicits contributions through an MTN Mobile Money account. It said the organisation is “not affiliated with, authorised by or endorsed by Mercy Ships.”

What the fake Mercy Ships fundraising claims

Mercy Ships International is a Christian organisation that provides free surgical care and training across Africa. Its hospital vessel, the Global Mercy, is docked at Tema Port and is expected to provide free surgeries to more than 2,500 Ghanaians over 10 months, ending in June 2027, according to the report by Edem Mensah-Tsotorme.

The ministry said patients were identified and pre-screened through a coordinated process involving Mercy Ships and the Ministry of Health, based on medical and eligibility criteria. Mercy Ships is operating at full capacity and is not accepting additional patients for its current field service.

All Mercy Ships medical services are free, and patients should not pay donations or make mobile money transfers to access treatment, the ministry said. Payments or registrations through third parties will not guarantee access.

The ministry’s warning follows a pattern seen in other countries where Mercy Ships has docked, as high demand for free surgery creates opportunities for fraudsters to demand fees from desperate families.

Advice to the public

The ministry advised the public not to make payments, not to share personal or financial information with anyone claiming to facilitate access, and not to engage with similar solicitations. People should rely only on official Ministry of Health and Mercy Ships channels.

The fake Mercy Ships fundraising campaign targets people who may be desperate for surgery they cannot afford. Conditions treated by Mercy Ships typically include facial tumours, cleft lip and palate, orthopaedic conditions in children, cataracts and other surgeries that are expensive or unavailable locally.

Why health scams are dangerous

Health-related fraud exploits patients and families at their most vulnerable. Victims can lose savings, and some may delay seeking legitimate care while waiting for promised treatment that never comes. Fraudulent appeals also undermine public trust in genuine charities and health programmes.

Mobile money has transformed access to financial services in Ghana and across Africa, but it has also become a channel for scams. Telecom operators and regulators encourage users to verify recipients, avoid sending money to unknown accounts and report suspicious requests.

Television and social media broadcasts of fundraising appeals should be checked against official sources. Legitimate charities usually publish their contact details and processes on their own websites and work with health ministries.

Broadcasters have a responsibility to check fundraising appeals before airing them, and media regulators can act against stations that broadcast fraudulent solicitations. The fake Mercy Ships fundraising appeal highlights the need for such checks.

The value of free surgery

Access to safe, affordable surgery is a major gap in many African health systems. Global surgery experts estimate that billions of people worldwide lack timely access to safe surgery and anaesthesia, and many conditions treated on hospital ships go untreated for years because patients cannot pay or cannot reach specialists.

Ghana’s Medical Trust Fund and the National Health Insurance Scheme cover some conditions, but out-of-pocket costs remain high for many procedures. Ghana’s anaesthetists have also threatened to withdraw services from 1 December, which could affect surgical capacity in public hospitals.

Hospital ships such as the Global Mercy also train local surgeons, nurses and anaesthetists during their stay, which can strengthen surgical capacity after the ship leaves. Mercy Ships has worked in several West African countries, including Sierra Leone, Senegal and Guinea, in recent years.

Patients who believe they need surgery should seek advice from their nearest public hospital or district health directorate, which can explain referral options and whether conditions are covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme or the Ghana Medical Trust Fund.

Anyone who has already sent money to the fraudulent campaign should report it to the police and their mobile money provider as quickly as possible, which may help trace or recover funds.

The ministry urged anyone with information about the fake Mercy Ships fundraising campaign to report it through official channels, and asked broadcasters to verify appeals before airing them.

 

 

Why it matters: Scammers are targeting patients desperate for free surgery, so families must know Mercy Ships care is free and closed to new patients.

 

 

Source: Ghanaian Times (Edem Mensah-Tsotorme), 12 November 2026.