Healthcare in Ghana for families abroad: NHIS, private hospitals and what things cost

The shape of the system

Ghana runs a tiered public system: CHPS compounds and health centres for primary care, district and regional hospitals, and five teaching hospitals, of which Korle Bu in Accra (about 1,600 beds, founded 1923) and Komfo Anokye in Kumasi (about 1,000 beds) are the largest. About four in five facilities are government-run. Out-of-pocket spending is 27% of all health spending, far lower than Nigeria's 72%, largely because of the NHIS.

The NHIS

• What it covers: outpatient care, tests, minor surgery, inpatient care, maternity, emergencies, oral and eye care, and treatment for cervical and breast cancer. Excluded: dialysis, most other cancers, HIV antiretrovirals, transplants, prosthetics, hearing aids, glasses, cosmetic surgery, treatment abroad, VIP wards.
• What it costs: the NHIA does not publish one figure. Research puts the annual premium at GH¢7 to GH¢42 depending on district, plus a GH¢8 processing fee; consumer guides quote GH¢30 to GH¢50 for adults. Renewal is annual, by dialling *929# or through the MyNHIS app, and can be paid by mobile money from anywhere.
• Who pays nothing: under-18s, people aged 70 and over, pregnant women, SSNIT pensioners and contributors, LEAP beneficiaries, and people classed as indigent. Fewer than 5% of members are over 70, which usually means the card has lapsed rather than that they are not entitled.
• How many have it: about 20 million active members in late 2025, roughly 60% of the population by the government's framing, with a target of 21 million.
• What changed in 2025: the levy that funds the scheme was uncapped in April 2025, provider tariffs rose by about 120% from January 2026, and the NHIA says claims are now paid within three months rather than nine to twelve. Whether that ends the long-standing complaints (drug stock-outs, illegal charges, providers refusing NHIS patients) is the thing to ask locally.

Private insurance

Private plans sit on top of the NHIS for people who want private hospitals and shorter waits. Entry-level individual plans from the main insurers (Acacia, GLICO Healthcare, Apex, Enterprise, Hollard, Metropolitan) ran from roughly GH¢500 to GH¢1,600 a year in 2025 and 2026. Several large insurers publish no prices and quote on request.

Hospitals and costs

• Accra, public: Korle Bu, Greater Accra Regional (Ridge), 37 Military Hospital, University of Ghana Medical Centre. Private: Nyaho Medical Centre, Lister Hospital, The Trust Hospital, Akai House Clinic, Accra Medical Centre.
• Kumasi, public: Komfo Anokye, KNUST Hospital, Kumasi South. Private: City Hospital, West End, TrustCare, Peace and Love.
• Consultations: the last published figures (2023) put an NHIS adult consultation at about GH¢19 at a primary hospital and GH¢86 at a teaching hospital, private general consultations at GH¢95 to GH¢180, specialists at GH¢200 to GH¢380, and a private inpatient day at GH¢250 to GH¢500. Public tariffs rose sharply in 2026, so treat these as a floor.
• Emergencies: 112, run by the National Ambulance Service with 319 stations and more than 3,300 technicians. Most ambulance journeys are transfers between facilities; the family usually gets the person to the first hospital.

Older people

Ghana had about 2 million people over 60 at the 2021 census, 6.5% of the population, and about 342,000 of them live alone. State support is the LEAP cash grant for the poorest households (GH¢380 to GH¢630 every two months from September 2026) and NHIS exemption at 70. Private home-care agencies in Accra rarely publish prices; a 2023 study found private care homes charging GH¢500 to GH¢1,500 a month.

Sending money

Sending £120 or £300 from the UK to Ghana cost 4.24% on average in August 2025, with the cheapest services near zero and the dearest above 6%. Ghana received about $7.8 billion in remittances in 2025 by the Bank of Ghana's count, more than foreign direct investment. There were 132,577 Ghana-born residents of England and Wales at the 2021 census.

Where Kinship stands

Kinship operates in Nigeria today. This page exists because many of the families we talk to have people in both countries, and because the questions are the same: is the card active, which hospital, who notices, who pays. If Ghana is where your people are, tell us when you get in touch; it helps us plan.

Related

• Health insurance in Nigeria explained
• How to get help for an elderly parent when you live abroad