Dr. Mintah Akandoh, the Minister for Health has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to making healthcare more accessible and affordable.
This includes plans to subsidize the cost of treating chronic illnesses under the newly proposed Mahama Cares initiative.
According to the Health Minister, this program will provide financial relief to patients suffering from non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which continue to claim an alarming number of lives in Ghana.
“I can assure you that the committee has been constituted to look into the framework for the establishment of Ghana Medical Trust Fund, properly known as Mahama Cares, so that we will mitigate or subsidize the cost of the chronic diseases in this country”
Dr. Mintah Akandoh, the Minister for Health
At the heart of this announcement was a strong rebuttal of claims that the previous government had implemented a free dialysis treatment policy.
Dr. Akandoh dismissed such assertions as “a political gimmick,” emphasizing that no such policy existed beyond a temporary and limited funding allocation.
The Free Dialysis Controversy
Addressing concerns about the supposed free dialysis treatment initiative under the previous administration, Dr. Akandoh set the record straight.
“There was absolutely nothing like free dialysis. It was political gimmickry, and it didn’t exist,” he debunked.
He explained that, as the ranking member of the Health Committee, he had first-hand knowledge of how funds were allocated for dialysis support.
According to him, during the last formula for the National Health Insurance, a provision of GHS 2 million was made, with an additional GHS 2 million sourced from corporate social responsibility contributions.
However, this financial arrangement expired on December 31, 2024, with no plans from the outgone government to extend or formalize it into policy.
“So there was no policy beyond December 31, 2024. There was absolutely nothing like that,” he reiterated, highlighting the lack of a structured, sustainable approach to dialysis treatment under the previous administration.
Healthcare Funding and Expanding Coverage
Dr. Akandoh pointed out that under the previous government, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) had been capped at GHS 8 billion, a move that severely restricted the fund’s ability to provide adequate healthcare services.
“From 2018 to 2024, as of the time they were leaving power, they had capped the National Health Insurance at not less than GHS 8 billion but everybody was crying that there was no money,” he remarked.
He accused the previous administration of diverting NHIS funds for political spending at the presidency instead of using them to improve healthcare delivery.
This mismanagement, he said, left hospitals struggling with inadequate funding for medical services.
To correct this, President Mahama has committed to uncapping the NHIS fund, ensuring that all allocated resources flow directly into the healthcare system.
This move, Dr. Akandoh explained, is a crucial step toward implementing free primary healthcare, a key component of Mahama’s vision to achieve universal health coverage.
Mahama Cares
One of the major healthcare initiatives set to be introduced is the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, known as Mahama Cares.
The fund is designed to mitigate or subsidize the cost of treating chronic diseases, particularly non-communicable diseases such as kidney failure, diabetes, hypertension, and cancer.
“You know that the rate at which NCDs are killing Ghanaians is alarming. Therefore, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama has promised that we are going to deliver”
Dr. Mintah Akandoh, the Minister for Health
He disclosed that a committee has already been constituted to develop the framework for the establishment of the fund.
The initiative will be structured to provide long-term financial relief for patients, ensuring that essential treatments, such as dialysis and chemotherapy, remain affordable for all Ghanaians.
With the expiration of the previous dialysis funding arrangement, concerns have been raised about what will happen to patients who relied on that support.
Dr. Akandoh allayed fears, emphasizing that the Mahama Cares initiative will serve as a more comprehensive and sustainable solution compared to the limited provisions under the previous administration.
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