The Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has announced that the government will complete ten Agenda 111 hospitals in 2026 as part of a major push to modernise Ghana’s health infrastructure, describing the move as a decisive step toward expanding access to quality healthcare nationwide.
Presenting the budget on the floor of Parliament, Finance Minister Hon. Dr Cassiel Ato Forson described the move as “a decisive step in resetting, modernising, and expanding Ghana’s healthcare infrastructure in the 2026 Budget Statement and Economic Policy.”
According to the minister, no nation can build lasting prosperity without first securing the health of its people. Guided by this principle, the government is pushing forward with a historic acceleration of stalled and ongoing health projects nationwide.
Dr Ato Forson announced that, in addition to the completion of the ten Agenda 111 hospitals, construction will begin on six new regional hospitals for the six recently created regions—starting with three in 2026. Two new district hospitals will also commence in Bole and Shaba, further expanding access to essential medical care.
The commitment to finish long-abandoned facilities was also reaffirmed. Projects such as the La General Hospital, the Effia Nkwanta Hospital in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, the Komfo Anokye Maternity Block, and the Ashanti Regional Hospital at Sewua will all see renewed attention and continuation.
These investments, Dr Forson stressed, represent far more than infrastructure—they are a restoration of public confidence in Ghana’s healthcare system. As part of this agenda, seven dedicated hospitals are set to be established solely to enhance maternal and child healthcare services, a critical intervention aimed at reducing maternal and infant mortality.
The minister further highlighted the role of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund—widely known as Mahama Cares—which was created to ensure sustainable financing for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). He noted that too many Ghanaians battling cancer, stroke, diabetes, hypertension, and kidney disease are being forced to choose “between life and livelihood”.
To change this narrative, Mahama Cares will roll out a comprehensive NCD financing policy in 2026. This policy will clearly define eligible conditions, approved service lists, tariffs, and essential medicines — guaranteeing continuous care without crippling out-of-pocket payments. Diagnostics and treatment centres will also be built through public–private partnerships in major hospitals across the country to provide modern testing and treatment services.
While the headline focus of the budget is healthcare expansion, Dr Forson also used the opportunity to honour the late Dr Edward Kofi Amani Boama, whose vision set the foundation for modernising Ghana’s Armed Forces.
In the area of national security, the government will begin a comprehensive retooling programme for the Army, Navy, and Air Force. This includes renegotiation of the $80 million Elbit Systems contract to secure 19 armoured personnel carriers for ground operations, the acquisition of offshore patrol vessels with helipads for the Navy, and the procurement of four new helicopters and two aircraft for the Air Force in 2026.
Additionally, the Ghana National Fire Service—long constrained by inadequate equipment—will receive 100 new fire tenders and other essential tools. The government is also partnering with the private sector to provide high-rise firefighting equipment to bolster emergency response capacity across urban centres.
As the finance minister concluded, the 2026 budget is not merely a document of expenditure—it is a blueprint for strengthening Ghana’s social and structural foundations. With ten Agenda 111 hospitals set for completion and additional projects underway, Ghana’s healthcare future, he said, is “finally moving from aspiration to construction, and from construction to reality.”
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