NDC and NPP health manifests are unclear on funding strategy

General news for Saturday 19 September 2020

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

2020-09-19

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has said that the free health policies promised in the 2020 manifestos of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) lack clarity on how their implementation will be financed.

GMA Secretary General Dr. Justice Yankson said that while health policies are commendable, previous ones have not been implemented.

According to Dr. Yankson, Ghana has for many years been unable to devote 15 per cent of its GDP to the health sector as required by members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

“The best the country has done over the years has been to dedicate 9% of GDP to the health sector. It’s always around 5, 6 or 7 percent, “he said on a current affairs program on Joy FM.

Among the many promises made by the NDC in the health sector is the promise to make primary health care free.

NDC also wants to encourage preventive care, promotion of health and wellness; reduce maternal mortality by half; introduce prenatal incentives; modify the law to provide four months of maternity leave, in addition to the current legal provisions on maternity and grant seven days of paternity leave; provide free sanitary pads to girls at school; train more staff in home and palliative care for the elderly and infirm; establish special exercise parks and recreational centers for the elderly, among others.

The promises of the 2020 PNP health manifesto are listed below:

– Meet the largest investment in health care infrastructure made by any government in the last fifty years;

– Focusing on health promotion and prevention as part of primary health care through the National Health Insurance Plan (NHIS) to achieve Universal Health Coverage (CUS);

– Work with the Ghana Medical and Dental Council to streamline admission processes for foreign-trained physicians;

– Expand access to medical colleges in Ghana by building additional facilities and increasing its human resource base;

– Eliminate import tariffs on sanitary napkins to improve health outcomes, especially for girls;

– Focus on telemedicine to improve the delivery of health services.