Ghana allocates 40.3 billion cedis to health in 2027
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on 3News
Illustrative image · Prince Enos · Pexels · Licence PexelsGhana’s 2027 budget allocates 40.3 billion cedis to health, including 6.8 billion to launch construction of a mother and child centre at Korle-Bu, six 160-bed regional hospitals and two district hospitals. Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson presented the bill on Thursday 12 November, also providing 10.2 billion for health insurance and 2.6 billion for the MahamaCares fund, according to 3News.
The Ghana 2027 budget provides 40.3 billion cedis for health, including 6.8 billion for the launch of new infrastructure, according to the document presented on Thursday 12 November by Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson to Parliament. The allocation includes 10.2 billion cedis for the National Health Insurance Scheme and 2.6 billion for the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, known as MahamaCares.
The government plans to build two specialist heart disease centres and a 400-bed mother and child building at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra. The 6.8 billion cedis allocated to new construction will also fund two district hospitals and six 160-bed regional hospitals in the Oti, Western North and Savannah regions, according to the budget. Juaboso District Hospital, already under construction, is 15% complete.
An allocation of 1 billion cedis will fund the completion of the Eastern and Western regional hospitals, while another billion is earmarked for 35 district hospitals under the Agenda 111 programme, several of which have stalled. The budget also provides 60 million cedis to complete La General Hospital, which the Health Minister says is due for completion by the end of 2027.
A further 200 million cedis is earmarked for ambulances. The budget also reserves 20 million for the Mental Health Fund, 70 million for psychiatric hospitals, 100 million for childhood and maternal vaccines and 275 million for the project dedicated to obstetric emergencies and maternal and child health, according to the budget document.
