Ghanaian Woman Claims She Paid GH₵500 for C-Section, Sparks Debate Over Child Delivery Fees
- A Ghanaian woman sparked debate after claiming she paid just GH₵500 for a caesarean-section delivery, with some netizens backing her while others doubted the figure
- Although Ghana’s free maternal healthcare policy was introduced in 2007 under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), many mothers still report paying out-of-pocket
- Reported costs vary widely across facilities, with c-sections ranging from about GH₵1,000 at some government hospitals to over GH₵30,000 at top private facilities
A Ghanaian woman has sparked debate after disclosing how she paid only GH₵500 for a caesarean-section delivery.
Source: Getty Images
Per policy, maternal healthcare is supposed to be free in Ghana, after the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government introduced a free delivery policy in 2007.
The policy, launched under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), aimed to cover gaps in healthcare delivery between urban and rural areas, where costs could be prohibitive to new mothers.
Despite the policy, maternal healthcare has remained expensive in Ghana, with private hospitals generally not accepting the NHIS insurance and government hospitals devising means of charging patients.
According to 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, the 2004 survey found.
Normal delivery vs CS costs in Ghana
According to reports, the cost of a normal delivery in Ghana can vary from GH¢500 to more than GH¢10,000, depending on whether the birth occurred at a public or private health facility.
A caesarean section, on the other hand, could cost as low as GH¢1,000 at a government facility or more than GH¢30,000 at a premier facility such as the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC).
Ghanaians self-reported various figures per YEN.com.gh’s research, with figures for caesarean section ranging from GH¢500 to GH¢15,000.
Ghanaian woman shares GH¢500 c-section experience
In a video seen by YEN.com.gh on the TikTok page of content creator Midwife Johnson, he shared a comment from a female follower who claimed to have delivered for only GH₵500 at the Mother and Child Hospital in Kasoa.
The claim sparked a heated debate among Ghanaians, with many claiming the cost was unrealistic, while others shared similar prices.
Others in the comments backed the first commenter, noting that it was completely realistic to be able to pay only GH₵500 for a c-section in Ghana.
Another person explained that the cost is with NHIS but balloons to GH₵1,500 without NHIS, which many still considered immensely affordable.
Below is the TikTok video of Midwife Johnson speaking about delivery costs in Ghana.
Reactions to Midwife Johnson’s delivery costs breakdown
YEN.com.gh compiled some comments from Ghanaians sharing how much they paid to deliver for both normal delivery and C-section.
Manny Vee said:
"I paid like GH₵3,000 for my cs at the government hospital."
Tracy Komey wrote:
"I paid GH₵5,700 at Ridge Hospital."
Otis commented:
"I paid GH₵2,800 for cs at Ajumako Government Hospital for my wife."
Firda said:
"I paid GH₵1,300 at Asamankese Government Hospital for a normal delivery."
Abenagina22 wrote:
"What she said is true, I also did mine at Mother and Child, it was GH₵500gh, but without NHIS you'll pay GH₵1,000gh."
X Gee Collection said:
"37 Government Hospital charges GH₵3,500 for normal birth and GH₵8,000 for cs."
Source: Getty Images
Cost of malaria treatment in Ghana
Previously, YEN.com.gh reported that the costs of treating malaria in Ghana emerged following an analysis.
Per the report, malaria treatment can cost anywhere from free to around GH¢200 at public health facilities, while private clinics like Elitecare or Trust Hospital charge as much as GH¢400-800 depending on the facility.
Source: YEN.com.gh
