The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has rejected claims that the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, also known as Mahama Cares, will compete with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
He explained that the Fund is designed to complement the NHIS by focusing on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) not covered by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).
Addressing Parliament on Tuesday, July 22, Mr Akandoh underscored the urgency of supporting people with NCDs, noting they account for between 40 and 43 percent of the country’s total mortality rate.
He added that when child mortality is excluded, the figure rises to over 65 percent.
“People say the Ghana Medical Trust Fund is going to compete with the National Health Insurance Scheme. It was clear, even at the committee level, that this fund is dedicated to treating NCDs not captured by the NHIA. So where is the competition? There is absolutely no competition,” he said.
The minister continued, “We all know, and everyone here is somehow related to someone battling these types of chronic diseases. I’ve heard members say mortality from NCDs is 40 or 43 percent. The danger—and more alarmingly—when you take child mortality out of the statistics, we are hitting more than 65 percent.”
He stressed the need for targeted interventions to address chronic diseases, describing them as a major challenge confronting the country’s health sector.
Meanwhile, the Mahama Cares will take effect after Parliament passes the bill backing it.
