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Parliament passes Ghana Medical Trust Fund Bill
Parliament has passed the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (Mahama Cares) Bill under certificate of urgency.
Presenting the report of the Health Committee to the House, the Chairman, Nawaane Kurt Mark noted that the purpose of the Bill is to establish the Ghana Medical Trust Fund to mobilise resources to finance and support the provision of specialized medical care for the treatment of persons with chronic diseases and to provide for the management of the fund.
He added that Government has identified key challenges and gaps in access to specialized medical care in the country.
These challenges include the concentration of specialist services in urban areas, limited diagnostic equipment, inadequate data systems and the high cost of treatment of chronic diseases, which often leads to catastrophic household expenditure.
He pointed out that households with patients with chronic diseases risk falling into poverty within five years of diagnosis.
“The Bill, therefore, seeks to provide statutory backing for the Ghana Medical Trust Fund and set out the arrangements for management of the Fund.,’ he stated.
The Minister of Health Kwabena Mintah Akandoh was at hand to suggest proposed clauses to amend the Bill at the consideration stages before the passage of the Bill.
The Diaspora Affairs Office at the Office of the President has hosted a delegation of African diaspora women who are in Ghana ahead of a planned Presidential Conferment of Citizenship ceremony.
The Director of Diaspora Affairs, Kofi Okyere Darko, explained in a Facebook post that the visit was a gesture of appreciation by the delegation to the Government of Ghana for its continued efforts to reconnect Africans in the diaspora with their ancestral homeland.
He indicated that the ceremony, scheduled for next Monday, will officially grant Ghanaian citizenship to members of the delegation as part of the country’s broader engagement with the African diaspora.
The delegation was led by Erica Bennett, Founder of the Diaspora Africa Forum.
According to Mr Okyere Darko, her years of advocacy have played an important role in strengthening ties between Africa and people of African descent living abroad.
He noted that the group’s journey towards citizenship represents not only a legal process but also a cultural and spiritual return to their roots.
Also present at the meeting was Natalie Jackson, an attorney who is also expected to receive Ghanaian citizenship during the ceremony. She works closely with renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump.
Mr Okyere Darko emphasised that Ghana remains committed to strengthening relationships with the African diaspora and promoting unity, identity, and shared heritage among people of African descent worldwide.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana has signed a debt restructuring agreement with the Kingdom of Belgium as part of efforts to restore the country’s economic stability after the financial crisis that hit the nation in 2022 and 2023.
The Minister of Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, today disclosed that he signed the agreement on behalf of the Government of Ghana.
He explained that Ghana experienced a very difficult period during the crisis, which forced the government at the time to declare a debt default.
However, he indicated that the country is now recovering and witnessing a significant economic turnaround.
According to him, stronger systems are also being put in place to ensure that Ghana does not return to such a situation again.
Dr Forson noted that the agreement with Belgium is the eighth deal Ghana has concluded with countries under the Official Creditor Committee as part of its external debt restructuring programme.
He expressed appreciation to the Government of Belgium for its support and partnership with Ghana during the process.
The Finance Minister thanked Carole van Eyll, Ambassador of Belgium to Ghana, for her role in strengthening relations between the two countries.
The agreement forms part of Ghana’s broader effort to restructure its external debts and stabilise the economy following the crisis.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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