The Ghana Medical Trust Fund Bill, popularly known as the Mahama Care Bill, continues to stir intense debate in Parliament as lawmakers weigh its potential to transform chronic disease care against concerns over its financial and structural implications.

During parliamentary proceedings, the Member of Parliament for Esikado-Ketan, Prof Grace Ayensu Danquah, made an impassioned case for the immediate passage of the bill, describing it as critical to tackling Ghana’s growing burden of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).

She emphasised that the bill could provide a lifeline to thousands of Ghanaians facing debilitating health conditions such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and kidney failure.

Prof Danquah characterised the NCD situation as a national crisis, citing data that attributes 43% of mortalities in Ghana to such diseases.

She recounted distressing examples of individuals struggling to pay for life-saving treatment, with many turning to public fundraising efforts on television to cover escalating medical expenses.

“We see people being amputated, people suffering in silence, and families being plunged into poverty—all because they cannot afford treatment,” she lamented.

“This bill is a game-changer. Ghanaians are dying while we delay. The time to act is now.”

Her plea underscored the human cost of the crisis and positioned the Mahama Care Bill as a critical intervention to ease the financial strain on patients and families affected by chronic illnesses.

However, the bill is facing significant resistance from the Minority in Parliament, particularly from the Ranking Member of the Health Committee, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie.

Speaking on the floor, Dr. Afriyie raised alarms about the bill’s possible duplication of services already covered under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), which he argued could be weakened by the proposed Trust.

He questioned the rationale behind allocating 20% of NHIS funds to the new Trust, suggesting it effectively amounts to a funding cap that could starve the NHIS of resources.

“This move contradicts the government’s earlier stance against capping NHIS allocations,” Dr. Afriyie noted.

“Now, they propose taking a fifth of its budget to fund another initiative.

How does that protect the poor?”

He warned that the proposed funding structure may disproportionately hurt vulnerable populations, who could face new out-of-pocket expenses or reduced access to essential services.

The Minority’s concerns reflect broader questions about sustainability, transparency, and whether the new Trust complements or competes with existing health programmes.

Despite these objections, the Majority maintains that the Mahama Care Bill is designed to complement the NHIS by targeting a critical gap in the current system—specialised care for chronic conditions that are not adequately covered.

The proposed Ghana Medical Trust Fund is expected to receive an initial investment of $59.7 million over three years, with an annual operational budget estimated at GH¢3 billion.

Funding sources would include public funds, government allocations, voluntary contributions, and investments. The bill also outlines plans to establish a national Non-Communicable Disease Registry and a governing Board of Trustees to oversee the fund's operations.