Lukewarm reception to plans for Ghana

A policy to promote medical tourism in Ghana to serve the ECOWAS region is being developed by the government.

The government is developing a policy to promote medical tourism in Ghana to serve the ECOWAS region.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a 15-member regional group with a mandate of promoting economic integration in member countries – Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’ Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Togo.

The aim of the policy is to get local health facilities to agree to the concept and then promote Ghana within ECOWAS.

The government seeks a public-private partnership agreement with health institutions.

Few local hospitals can offer services equal to Asia, and their only hope is to target very poor African countries.

So far, only politicians have any enthusiasm for the idea, hospitals are not keen on spending their money while government offers no more than political encouragement.