How Much Does It Cost To Give Birth in Ghana?: Public vs Private Hospitals Compared
- Ghana implemented a free maternal care policy in 2007, but many Ghanaian women still pay out of pocket for the service, with some studies finding as many as 97% pay for care
- With healthcare costs, including maternal care, ballooning each year, pregnant women often have to choose between the convenience of private care and the affordability of public care
- YEN.com.gh takes a look at the costs involved in giving birth to a child in Ghana, comparing the differences between public and private hospitals
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Maternal healthcare costs have continued to balloon over the years, both in the public and private sectors, with many people wondering how much they would have to pay if they had to deliver a child in Ghana in 2026.
Source: UGC
Is maternal healthcare free in Ghana?
Former President John Agyekum Kufuor introduced one of the most comprehensive healthcare policies in Ghana in 2008, the free maternal care policy under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). The policy aimed to provide enrollees of the NHIS free maternal healthcare from conception until six weeks after delivery. According to the study titled "Why “free maternal healthcare” is not entirely free in Ghana", published by US National Library of Medicine, the policy was meant to cover multiple areas, including:
"All general services listed under the NHIS benefit package, including consultations, hospitalisation, and laboratory tests and medications during pregnancy, labour, birth (including caesarean sections), and up to 3 months postpartum."
While the policy remains in place to date, financial challenges within the NHIS, mainly caused by successive governments failing to settle outstanding debts to the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) on time, have forced care providers to seek alternative means to generate revenue, moving many costs from the policy onto consumers.
In a 2024 study published by The Conversation, 97% of Ghanaian mothers reported making an out-of-pocket payment for antenatal care; 65% paid for delivery services; and 22% paid for postnatal services.
Private vs Public delivery costs in Ghana
With the NHIS being ineffective in delivering on its mandate to provide free maternal health care to all Ghanaian women, pregnant individuals have to budget whenever they have to deliver a child.
Public hospitals generally charge lower than private ones, forcing consumers to choose between affordability on one hand and specialised care and convenience on the other. Costs also differ greatly between normal delivery (NVD) and caesarean section.
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According to asetena.com, public hospitals such as Korle Bu Teaching Hospital or the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (more commonly known as the Ridge Hospital) generally charge between GH¢500-3,000 for normal delivery (NVD) and GH¢2,500-5,000 for C-sections, with the variation in costs depending on the facility level, complications, and region.
The website lists costs for private health facilities ranging from GH¢5,000 to GH¢15,000, while C-sections range from GH¢14,000-31,000, with the high end applying to premium hospitals such as the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC).
Conversations in public forums on social media sites such as Reddit and Facebook have also stated similar prices for delivering at public and private health facilities in Ghana.
As there are costs of childbirth, prenatal and postnatal care may add up to your bill, so it is important to check with facilities before utilising them for your delivery.
Source: Facebook
Woman breaks down delivery cost at UGMC
Previously, YEN.com.gh reported that a Ghanaian woman shared her experience after giving birth at the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC).
In her post, she praised the level of healthcare delivery at the facility and listed the delivery prices, ranging from GH₵5,000 to more than GH₵ 30,000.
Source: YEN.com.gh
