Parliament was thrown into heated debate on Tuesday as the Minority raised strong objections to the proposed Ghana Medical Trust Fund, popularly known as the Mahama Cares Fund, warning it could duplicate the role of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and overburden its finances.
The bill, introduced less than 24 hours before its consideration, seeks to establish a dedicated fund to support individuals living with chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as cancer, diabetes, and hypertension. However, the Minority argued that the initiative risks undermining existing health financing structures.
Former Lands Minister and MP for Damongo, Samuel Abu Jinapor, led the charge, questioning the need for a parallel scheme when the NHIS could be restructured to accommodate NCDs.
“We are all aware of the dangers of duplicating institutions. Reputable organisations such as the United Nations, UNDP, WHO, and IMF have consistently warned against third-world governments creating multiple agencies for the same purpose,” he cautioned.
“Why can we not simply review the National Health Insurance Authority to handle non-communicable diseases? Are we not tired of creating new institutions that drain administrative funds and complicate governance?”
Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, however, dismissed these concerns, clarifying that the Mahama Cares Fund would not compete with the NHIS but rather complement it.
“This fund is dedicated to NCDs that are not covered by the NHIS. Where is the competition? There is absolutely no competition,” he said.
He highlighted the growing burden of chronic diseases in Ghana, revealing alarming mortality rates.
“Mortality from NCDs stands at about 40% to 43%. But if you take out child mortality from the statistics, NCD-related deaths shoot up to over 65%,” Mr Akandoh explained.
“In governance, you design solutions for the challenges at hand. Today, the biggest health challenge we face is NCDs.”
MP for Manhyia North, Akwasi Konadu, also criticised the proposal, questioning its sustainability.
“What social intervention takes another social intervention to fund it? This trust fund is going to rely on the NHIS to survive. Are we creating secondary financing or secondary insurance?” he asked.
He warned that diverting NHIS funds to the Trust Fund could deprive primary healthcare of much-needed resources.
“Primary healthcare is about prevention and education to reduce the disease burden at the secondary and tertiary levels. If we underfund primary care, we will only increase the cases that reach the tertiary stage, which this Trust Fund is expected to manage,” Mr Konadu said.
Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga, however, defended the proposal, acknowledging the dilemma but insisting that the government’s approach is pragmatic.
“If we simply added NCDs to the NHIS, it could consume over 20% of the scheme’s resources. That’s why the proposal is to set aside just 20% of the NHIS fund to support the Trust Fund, while the rest of the financing will come from other sources,” he explained.
He stressed the need for a targeted solution to Ghana’s NCD crisis, without overwhelming the NHIS’s broader mandate.
Despite the sharp division, the government maintains that the Mahama Cares Fund will provide lifesaving support to thousands of Ghanaians who currently cannot afford treatment for chronic illnesses. The debate is expected to continue as Parliament considers the bill further in the coming days.
