The Member of Parliament for Kwadaso, Professor Kingsley Nyarko, has launched a scathing critique of the newly passed Ghana Medical Trust Fund Bill, 2025—popularly referred to as the ‘MahamaCares’ Programme, describing it as “needless” and “unnecessary.”
The Bill, which aims to establish a dedicated fund to support the treatment of chronic non-communicable diseases such as cancer, kidney failure, stroke, and diabetes, was passed by Parliament as part of efforts to expand access to specialised medical care.
But Prof Nyarko contends that the legislation is redundant and could have been more efficiently implemented by amending the existing National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) rather than creating a separate fund.
“For me, I think it is completely needless and unnecessary because we have the National Health Insurance Scheme. This bill seeks to provide medical support to persons who have non-communicable diseases, largely,” he said in an interview with Channel One TV on Tuesday, 22 July.
“But the current Health Insurance Act could be amended to cater for this ailment. Simple. You do not need a sacred intervention to achieve that.”
He further questioned the motive behind the initiative, suggesting it is more about crafting a political legacy for former President John Dramani Mahama than addressing pressing health needs.
The Ghana Medical Trust Fund is designed to offer financial relief to Ghanaians who require costly medical interventions, often beyond the reach of average households.
To qualify, applicants must be Ghanaian citizens, enrolled in the NHIS, and have a certified diagnosis of a chronic illness. Applications must be submitted through a specialist medical practitioner, and the Fund is expected to respond within 14 days.
However, the Bill, which has now been passed into law, has stirred controversy in Parliament. During debate on Monday, 21 July, the Minority Caucus expressed strong reservations about the decision to channel 20 per cent of NHIS revenue into financing the new Trust Fund. They warned that the reallocation could weaken the NHIS’s ability to fulfil its existing commitments.
The passage of the Bill has thus opened fresh political debate over health financing priorities and the long-term sustainability of Ghana’s social protection programmes.
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