Abena Osei Asare revives debate on how Ghana funds its health infrastructure

At a modest but symbolic ceremony in Akyem Enyiresi in the Eastern Region, a long-running national conversation about the health financing model resurfaced with renewed urgency.

Former Deputy Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for Atiwa East, Abena Osei Asare, used the handover of a newly built doctors’ accommodation at the Akyem Enyiresi Government Hospital to call for a fundamental rethink of how the country finances health infrastructure.

Speaking to journalists on Sunday, December 21, 2025, Ms Osei Asare argued that Ghana’s health sector cannot overcome its chronic infrastructure deficit if it continues to rely solely on routine annual budgetary allocations to the Ministry of Health.

She proposed the creation of a dedicated funding initiative for health infrastructure, separate from the ministry’s recurrent budget, to allow for sustained and large-scale investments in hospitals, clinics, and staff accommodation across the country.

Her remarks come against the backdrop of persistent complaints about dilapidated health facilities, overcrowded wards, and inadequate accommodation for medical professionals, particularly in rural and peri-urban communities.

Over the years, successive governments have acknowledged these challenges, but progress has often been slowed by fiscal constraints and competing national priorities.

Drawing a direct comparison with the government’s flagship road infrastructure programme, the “Big Push,” Ms Osei Asare noted that the model demonstrated how ring-fenced funding outside a sector ministry’s normal budget could accelerate development.

Under the Big Push initiative, substantial resources were allocated specifically for road construction and rehabilitation, enabling projects to proceed at a scale and pace that routine funding could not support.

“In the Big Push, a substantial allocation was made to support road projects outside the normal budget for the Roads Ministry,” she said.

“A similar approach for health infrastructure would go a long way in addressing the critical gaps we face.”

The former deputy finance minister anchored her argument in the structure of Ghana’s health budget, pointing out that compensation for health workers currently consumes about 85 per cent of total allocations.

This, she explained, leaves very limited fiscal space for capital expenditure, including the construction, expansion, and modernisation of health facilities.

“If you look at the allocation, 85 per cent is committed to salaries,” she noted, stressing that while remuneration for health workers is essential, it should not crowd out investment in the physical infrastructure needed to deliver quality care.

According to her, a separate funding stream dedicated solely to infrastructure would allow government to plan and execute long-term projects without being constrained by recurrent expenditure pressures.

Poor accommodation, limited equipment, and weak infrastructure have often discouraged health professionals from accepting postings outside major urban centres.

Ms Osei Asare’s intervention also aligns with broader policy debates within the health sector, where stakeholders have repeatedly called for innovative financing mechanisms to complement traditional budgetary support.

Recent discussions around flagship projects such as the Weija Paediatric Hospital, expanded catheterisation centres, and district-level health facilities have underscored the scale of investment required to meet growing population and disease burdens.