The Member of Parliament for Kwadaso, Prof. Kingsley Nyarko, has dismissed the Ghana Medical Trust Fund Bill, 2025, also known as the ‘Mahama Cares’ Programme as "needless" and "unnecessary."

His comments come after Parliament passed the bill, which aims to establish a dedicated fund to provide specialized medical care for chronic conditions such as cancer, stroke, kidney failure, and diabetes.

In an interview with Channel One Newsroom on Tuesday, July 22, Prof. Nyarko argued that the bill's objectives could be met by amending the existing National Health Insurance Act (NHIS), rather than creating an entirely new 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.

“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 stated.

Prof. Nyarko further suggested that the bill may have more to do with political branding than actual healthcare reform, implying that the government is attempting to create a legacy for former President John Dramani Mahama.

The Ghana Medical Trust Fund is designed to offer financial assistance to patients by subsidizing or fully covering the costs of expensive medical procedures, drugs, and surgeries that are often out of reach for the average Ghanaian.

To qualify, applicants must be Ghanaian citizens enrolled in the NHIS and diagnosed with a chronic illness. Applications must be submitted through a specialist, and the Fund is required to process them within 14 days, either granting approval or providing an explanation for any denial.

However, during the debate on the Health Committee’s report on the bill on Monday, July 21, the Minority Caucus raised concerns about the decision to allocate 20 percent of the National Health Insurance Scheme’s resources to finance the operations of the Trust Fund.

They warned that this diversion of funds could jeopardize the sustainability of NHIS and undermine its ability to provide essential health services.