Private health insurance and private healthcare have been legalised in Ghana to give the population more choice when selecting insurance. Due to the poor quality and erratic nature of healthcare in Ghana the majority of expats opt for private international health insurance.
The Ghanaian government provides some financial support to private religious organisations such as the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG). But on the whole private insurers don’t receive any support from the government.
Private insurance is optional and of course is more costly than public insurance, the main reason why the majority of Ghanaians don’t subscribe to private insurance.
There are 7 main companies specializing in insurance in Ghana, as the public one provides only basic cover, private insurance is a must if you can afford it. Some companies which specialise in Ghana are Med-X Health Systems and Momentum Africa.
Buying private insurance will consequently allow you to be protected from a wider range of health issues, and allow you to use private hospitals which are not covered under the public scheme.
Expats may also wish to consider medical evacuation insurance which will cover you should you need to be transported to a facility either inside or outside the country. Repatriation insurance will also pay for you to be transported home for treatment.