Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama has revealed that the free primary healthcare policy plan captured in the ‘People’s Manifesto’ will cost the nation ¢1.4 billion annually.
The former President said he’s not discouraged by the cost and has expressed readiness to implement the policy plan with finding from the oil revenue as part of the annual budget funding.
With only 40% of the population currently enrolled on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Mr Mahama said the country is not likely to achieve the SDG target of health for all by 2030, a course that can only be reversed by the health for all policy he’s put on the plate.
He made this known at a professional dialogue with business owners and professional groups who scrutinised and interrogated his plans as captured in the NDC’s 2020 manifesto.
Many have criticised and questioned the party’s commitment to implement the policy, having failed to implement the one-time premium it promised in the run-up to the 2012 general elections.
Responding to that concern, John Dramani Mahama said the Single Spine Salary Structure which came into effect in the last days of the erstwhile Kufour administration, made it difficult to implement the policy.