The Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, Dr. Kingsley Agyemang, has raised concerns about the future of rural healthcare delivery and the welfare of health workers following what he calls “troubling omissions” in the 2026 budget.
Addressing journalists during a post-budget interaction, Dr. Agyemang said the government has failed to outline clear steps toward improving access to healthcare in rural communities—despite earlier commitments by the NDC to deploy mobile medical and dental vans.
“I come from a rural constituency and have not seen a single medical outreach or mobile van. These were supposed to help the most deprived communities,” he noted.
He criticised the budget’s silence on upgrading SHS sickbays into satellite clinics, reforms aimed at improving occupational safety in workplaces, and the introduction of tax waivers and incentives to motivate health personnel.
According to him, the decision to slash the nursing training allowance by almost GH₵300 million—from GH₵770 million to GH₵474 million—will directly impact the training pipeline of key health professionals needed to serve rural communities.
Dr. Agyemang also questioned why government has not shown progress on constructing two new nursing training schools, despite allocating GH₵40 million in the previous budget.
He expressed worry that while these health-sector priorities are being overlooked, government appears ready to commit billions to acquiring new presidential and military jets.
“The health allocation is barely GH₵16 million, and that’s less than 8 percent of the national budget at a time when galamsey-related diseases are on the rise. We should be strengthening the health system, not deprioritizing it,” he argued.
He warned that the health needs of rural communities would worsen if government fails to realign its priorities and honour its promises.