Social media users have sharply criticised Health Minister Joseph Minta Akandoh after he claimed that the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has “now” begun covering the treatment of sickle cell disease.
The backlash began shortly after the minister made the announcement at the Africa CDC High-Level Side Event on Sickle Cell Disease, where he touted the inclusion of the treatment as a fresh policy move. Critics, however, were quick to point out that the scheme had already been expanded to cover sickle cell in 2022 under the Akufo-Addo administration.
“Sickle cell has always been on NHIS. These settings and propaganda should stop,” one user wrote on X.
“Are you not ashamed of posting this? Dr Mahamudu Bawumia implemented this policy in 2022. Stop stealing policies and rebranding them as your own,” another added, sharing a MyJoyOnline report from August 2022.
Records show that in 2019, then Vice President Bawumia first announced Ghana’s adoption of hydroxyurea, a globally acclaimed drug for sickle cell. By July 1, 2022, NHIS officially covered hydroxyurea and other treatments, making Ghana the first African country to roll out the drug under national health insurance.
The initiative became a flagship health achievement of the previous government and was repeatedly highlighted during the 2024 election campaign.
Minister Akandoh’s remarks have since been described by critics as an attempt to repackage past achievements for political mileage, reigniting debates about continuity, ownership, and honesty in Ghana’s health policy space.
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