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Health Minister Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh says the 2026 budget marks the strongest commitment to healthcare investment in years, describing it as βthe most people-focused and health-centred budgetβ yet.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series, he announced a GHΒ’34 billion allocation to the sector, with GHΒ’11 billion going to the NHIS. Hon Akandoh said the scheme has been stabilised, coverage has risen to 20 million people, and government will implement a 120% increase in NHIS tariffs next year to reflect realistic service costs.
The new Free Primary Healthcare package, worth GHΒ’1.5 billion, will be rolled out, while the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (MahamaCare) programme is now fully operational, with GHΒ’2.3 billion to support patients.
The Minister also confirmed that the construction of three new regional hospitals in the Savannah, Oti, and Western North regions will begin in 2026, with a budget allocation of GHΒ’600 million. He stressed that no uncompleted health project will be abandoned.
With GHΒ’16.7 billion set aside, Hon Akandoh said government will continue paying recently recruited nurses, deploy 700 medical doctors, and clear trainee allowances on time.
On Zipline, the minister clarified that although the drone service was originally expected to avoid reliance on Government of Ghana funds, the state has been paying over US$500,000 monthly for its operations.
He noted that a review has revealed that only 12% of flights serve hard-to-reach communities, while a significant portion have been used to transport non-essential items.
Hon Akandoh said government has met Zipline several times and is still engaging them to ensure βvalue for money,β stressing that any future arrangement must align with the presidentβs directive for efficient and justifiable spending.
