News:
November 26, 2025
Ranking member on the Health Committee, Dr Nana Ayew Afriyie in debating the 2026 budget presented by the Finance Minister Dr. Ato Forson, has noted that the re-setting agenda is not going down well with NHIA despite the government’s announcement of uncapping the fund.
He noted that the NHIA under Nana Akuffo-Addo had an envelope of ten billion Ghana cedis, so with all the noise by the current NDC government about uncapping to allow more funds into the scheme, it was the expectation that allocations would be more than under the previous regime. Unfortunately, the 2026 budget only provided eight billion cedis.
“But twenty percent of the funds was capped for the Mahama care trust – one point six billion cedis was taken out of the eight billion, left with six point four billion Ghana cedis, leading to the worse performance and the allocation currently four point five billion”, he argued.
He noted that the Mahama care was for special services and non-communicable diseases; and despite the government making the point that free primary care would be provided, it is now under the Mahama care to compete with other funds to the NHIA; “there are inconsistencies” he lamented.
Dr Ayew Afriyie also revealed the alarming development where lack of funds to zipline is suffocating the operations of the company; stating that Zipline is decommissioning three of its centers, that is center three, four and six, and there has not been any engagement since this unfortunate development.
He said government’s allocation of twenty million Ghana cedis for the Zipline in the 2025 budget is woefully inadequate as government owes Zipline one hundred and seventy-nine million; and they threatened to shut down.
“The Anum center supplying the whole of Volta region, Eastern, Afram plains, Westen North – the sector minister’s own region. It means they are not supplying blood, medicines, and vaccines to part of Western, Central, Ashanti Ahafo, and the Bono regions”.
Re-setting has made sure there is no funds to zipline and this is not good news for the ordinary person in the remote place of this country, he emphasized.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com