The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has updated the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, on a range of government initiatives aimed at improving healthcare delivery and achieving universal health coverage in Ghana.
The Minister gave the briefing during a courtesy call on the Asantehene at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi as part of his working visit to the Ashanti Region.
Mr. Akandoh outlined key interventions being undertaken by the government, including the rollout of the Free Primary Healthcare Programme, the integration of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) with the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (Mahama Cares), expansion of health infrastructure, recruitment of health professionals, and efforts to strengthen specialist and emergency healthcare services.
He said the various programmes are designed to complement one another to ensure equitable access to quality healthcare for all Ghanaians.
According to the Minister, the government is also pursuing an ambitious health infrastructure agenda, with new regional hospitals planned for the Western North, Oti and Savannah regions. He indicated that the remaining projects will be captured in the 2027 national budget.
On human resources for health, Mr. Akandoh disclosed that about 13,500 previously unemployed health professionals inherited by the current administration have been recruited and placed on the government payroll.
He added that an additional 8,000 health workers have since been employed, with plans underway to recruit another 8,000 to further strengthen the country’s health workforce.
The Minister further revealed that the government has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with several countries to facilitate the deployment of Ghanaian health professionals abroad.
He explained that the arrangement is expected to create employment opportunities for health workers while boosting foreign remittances to the country.
Addressing emergency healthcare, Mr. Akandoh said the government is implementing measures to tackle the persistent “no-bed syndrome,” including plans to establish emergency centres in Accra and Kumasi.
He also informed the Asantehene that significant progress has been made toward operationalizing the Sewua Regional Hospital in the Ashanti Region, noting that access roads have been completed while water and electricity connections are being finalized ahead of the facility’s commissioning.
