The Minority in Parliament has stalled the adoption of the Health Committee’s report on the Ghana Medical Trust Fund Bill, 2025 widely referred to as the Mahama Cares programme, citing the House’s failure to meet the constitutional requirement for a quorum.
The Bill, currently before the House under a certificate of urgency, proposes the establishment of a dedicated trust fund to finance specialised medical care for Ghanaians battling life-threatening conditions such as cancer, stroke, kidney failure, and diabetes.
But just as the House concluded its debate on the committee’s report, First Deputy Minority Whip Habib Iddrisu raised a red flag over what he described as a breach of parliamentary procedure. He argued that the House lacked the numbers necessary to lawfully proceed with a vote, and formally petitioned Second Deputy Speaker Andrew Asiamah Amoako to defer the decision.
In response to the objection, the Second Deputy Speaker suspended the vote, pending consultations and confirmation of quorum on Tuesday.
Reacting to the Minority’s move, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga said the Majority side, though capable of forcing a vote, chose not to flex its numerical advantage in the interest of parliamentary consensus.
“The Majority Caucus, in agreeing with the Minority’s concerns, opted to compromise rather than impose its numerical advantage,” he stated.
The setback has cast a temporary cloud over one of the Mahama administration’s flagship health initiatives, which aims to address the burden of chronic disease care in Ghana.
