Management of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital has revealed that nearly two-thirds of children admitted to its Intensive Care Unit (ICU) are unable to pay for critical healthcare services, raising concerns about access and sustainability.
According to Dr. Yakubu Seidu Adam, Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, about 64% of patients in the Children’s ICU leave their bills unsettled because treatments are not covered under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
“This is a serious financial challenge for the hospital. Families simply cannot afford these costs, and the social welfare unit is often forced to step in,” Dr. Adam said during an inspection visit by Parliament’s Health Committee on Wednesday, September 3, 2025.
Currently, the hospital charges patients a GHC2 levy, but management says the amount is inadequate to cushion the unit against the high cost of intensive care services. The hospital has therefore proposed an upward adjustment of the levy to GHC5 to help sustain operations while efforts are made to engage the NHIS for potential coverage.
“We’re making a case to engage NHIS. Until then, this small levy adjustment will help us keep the unit running and support patients who otherwise cannot pay,” Dr. Adam explained.
The Children’s ICU, one of the busiest in the country, continues to face rising costs amid growing demand for specialist care. Health experts have long called for expanded NHIS coverage to include critical care services for children, warning that without such reforms, Ghana’s poorest families will remain vulnerable when confronted with life-threatening emergencies.
