President Akufo-Addo has announced that government will include mental health care in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in 2024 to address the increasing rate of mental health-related issues in the country.
Akufo-Addo disclosed this at the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons Maiden Awards Night on Tuesday, December 12.
He emphasized that achieving universal coverage relies on having specialized mental health professionals available in all hospitals nationwide. The announcement underscores the government’s commitment to prioritizing mental health services and ensuring their accessibility through the National Health Insurance Scheme.
“Next year, mental healthcare will be added to the benefits package on the National Health Insurance Scheme. We recognize, however, that the key to achieving the target of universal health coverage is the availability of specialists to serve in all hospitals in the country. It is about time we begin to set our targets higher.”
The president additionally urged for robust and cooperative collaboration among the different professional health bodies in the country. This, he emphasized, is crucial to ensuring that Ghana successfully attains its objectives for universal health coverage.
“These targets, which are being achieved by the developed world where doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals migrate to, can be achieved by Ghana.
“The Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Ghana Medical and Dental Council, the Ghana Health Service, and the Ministry of Health must work together to ensure that we also achieve this target.”