Dr. Kingsley Agyemang, Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, has voiced serious concerns over what he describes as critical gaps in the 2026 budget relating to rural healthcare and the welfare of health workers.

Speaking at a post-budget briefing with journalists, Dr. Agyemang criticised the government for failing to outline a clear roadmap for improving healthcare access in rural communities, despite previous promises to deploy mobile medical and dental vans.

“I represent a rural constituency, and not a single medical outreach or mobile van has been deployed. These interventions were meant to support the most deprived communities,” he said.

He also expressed disappointment over the budget’s silence on plans to upgrade Senior High School sickbays into satellite clinics, improve occupational safety in workplaces, and introduce tax incentives to motivate health professionals.

Dr. Agyemang highlighted a sharp reduction in the nursing training allowance, from GH₵770 million to GH₵474 million, warning that the cut could undermine efforts to train and retain health professionals for underserved areas. He further noted that two proposed nursing training schools remain unestablished, despite GH₵40 million having been allocated to them in the previous budget.

While health-sector priorities remain largely unaddressed, Dr. Agyemang observed that the government appears prepared to commit billions to acquiring new presidential and military aircraft.

“With health allocation barely GH₵16 million, less than eight percent of the national budget, and with rising galamsey-related health issues, this is not the direction we should be taking,” he stressed.