A Jerusalem hospital that began with just two nurses in 1913 has grown into a billion-shekel health economy, and its leaders believe Ghana can replicate the model to reduce medical tourism expenses and create thousands of jobs.
Barbara Goldstein, a key fundraiser for the Hadassah Medical Center, encouraged Ghanaians to start small, rally donors at home and abroad, and forge partnerships with both private and government institutions. Speaking with The High Street Journal’s Nii Marmah Boye during a tour of the facility, she said such an approach could build a world-class hospital that generates revenue, attracts medical tourists across Africa, and contributes to life-saving research.
“Ghanaians must start from somewhere. With support from partners, they can build a world-class hospital that brings revenue home, positions Africa for medical tourism, and advances research for a healthier future,” Goldstein said.
Her comments align with government’s launch of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund in April 2025, under which the state seeks partner funding to treat cancer, kidney failure, cardiovascular diseases, and strokes, conditions that currently force many Ghanaians to seek expensive specialist care abroad.
The Hadassah Medical Center, operated by the Hadassah Women’s Organization of America, opened its first hospital in 1934 after being founded in 1912. It expanded to the Ein Kerem campus in 1961 after the original Mount Scopus facility was cut off during the 1948 war. Mount Scopus was rebuilt and reopened in 1976.
Today, the center operates as a public-private partnership with about a million patients visiting the center yearly. It is privately managed but largely funded through Israel’s National Health Insurance, meaning every Israeli citizen can access care at Hadassah for free, from primary clinics to cancer treatment and bone marrow transplants.
The economic footprint is already substantial. The hospital employs thousands of doctors, nurses, researchers, and support staff directly. Its five professional schools, affiliated with Hebrew University, produce doctors and specialists who remain in Israel, strengthening the national healthcare workforce. Additionally, clinical trials and medical patents from Hadassah feed directly into Israel’s broader technology sector.
Goldstein and other health economists suggest Ghana can adapt the Hadassah blueprint in five key ways:
Start regionally. Hadassah began by treating one disease in one community. Ghana could designate two regional hubs to specialize in cancer and maternal health rather than spreading resources thinly.
Anchor hospitals to universities. Hadassah’s partnership with Hebrew University created a steady pipeline of talent. The University of Ghana is already playing this role, but more universities to follow suit.
Expand public-private partnerships under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). Hadassah demonstrates that private hospitals can deliver free public care when the government pays. Ghana could contract accredited private facilities to provide specialist NHIS services, easing the burden on Korle Bu and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospitals.
However, questions remain over whether the National Health Authority will embrace such creativity, especially when even malaria treatment is not fully covered under the NHIS.
Tap the diaspora. The Hadassah Women’s Organization in the U.S. still funds a huge portion of the hospital’s budget. A similar Ghanaian diaspora health fund could finance equipment and specialist centres.
Treat healthcare as an economic sector. Health economists argue that countries viewing healthcare as an economic driver see better returns. Hadassah is now the sixth largest hospital complex in Israel and one of Jerusalem’s top employers.
For Ghana, replicating the model could mean fewer foreign exchange losses from medical tourism, more skilled jobs, and a stronger, more sustainable NHIS.
