How Much Does It Cost To See a Doctor in Ghana? Private vs Public Hospitals Consultation Costs
- Consultation costs in Ghana varied sharply between public and private facilities, with NHIS membership determining whether patients paid almost nothing or faced out-of-pocket charges
- At public hospitals, including Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, NHIS subscribers accessed consultations, medicines, and many lab tests at little to no cost
- Private and public-private facilities such as the University of Ghana Medical Centre and Trust General Hospital reportedly charged between GH₵100 and GH₵400, with many declining to accept NHIS cards
Public versus private hospital consultation costs in Ghana vary wildly, with the fee you would expect to pay depending on factors such as the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and the pricing scheme of the hospital in question.
Source: Facebook
Consultation fees at public hospitals in Ghana
Unlike private hospitals that charge massive prices out of pocket, consultations at public hospitals in Ghana are largely free.
This is contingent on the patient being enrolled onto the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), which is available to every Ghanaian but requires one to register and to pay an annual fee.
With the NHIS in hand, you can visit most public hospitals in Accra and around the country and pay basically nothing for registration, consultation, medicines, and many lab tests.
This applies to facilities such as the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, the Tamale Teaching Hospital, the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, the Ho Teaching Hospital, and the 37 Military Hospital.
Other public facilities where one can access free consultation with the NHIS include the Police Hospital, the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge), and LEKMA Hospital.
If one is not enrolled in the NHIS, they would have to pay a fee for consultation, generally between GH₵ 100 and GH₵ 200.
Consultation fees at private hospitals in Ghana
Unlike public hospitals, consultation at private hospitals can hurt the pocket, depending on one's socio-economic status.
Despite being designed to cover every individual in Ghana, many private hospitals refuse to accept the NHIS card and charge customers out of pocket, or only accept private health insurance schemes.
An investigation by the Fourth Estate also found that numerous public-private hospitals - hospitals under private management but partly funded by the taxpayer - refuse to accept the NHIS card.
Their investigation uncovered the consultation costs at such hospitals to range from GHS 100 to GHS 400.
Below are the consultation fees for selected private health facilities in Ghana.
- University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) - GHS200
- University Hospital - GHS 120
- Trust General Hospital, Osu - GHS 200
- International Maritime Hospital (IMaH) - GHS 100 (registration)
- Bank Hospital - GHS355
Below is a YouTube video discussing the refusal of some private health facilities to accept NHIS.
Source: UGC
Cost of giving birth in Ghana
Previously, YEN.com.gh reported on the maternal healthcare costs at both private and public health facilities in Ghana.
The analysis found that 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.
It also determined that costs differed greatly between normal delivery (NVD) and caesarean section.
Source: YEN.com.gh
