The Government has reaffirmed its commitment to bringing quality healthcare closer to communities with the launch of the Free Primary Healthcare (FPHC) initiative in the Volta Region.
The Minister for Health, Mr. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, made the announcement during a working visit to the region where he officially launched the programme.
Addressing stakeholders at the event, Mr. Akandoh explained that the Free Primary Healthcare initiative is intended to complement the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) rather than replace it.
He said the programme forms part of the Government’s health sector reset agenda, which seeks to shift the country's healthcare system from a model focused mainly on treating illnesses to one that emphasizes prevention, early detection, health promotion and community-based care.
“Our healthcare system has become overly reliant on sick care. The Free Primary Healthcare initiative is a key component of our reset agenda to build a more comprehensive, preventive and people-centred healthcare system that serves all Ghanaians effectively,” he said.
The Minister noted that every Ghanaian with a valid national identification card would be eligible to access primary healthcare services under the programme. He added that patients referred to higher levels of care would require active NHIS membership, highlighting the need for citizens to enrol and remain active on the scheme.
Mr. Akandoh stressed that the success of the initiative would depend on the support of traditional authorities, local government officials, civil society organisations, the media, community leaders and the public.
The Volta Regional Minister, Mr. James Gunu, commended the Health Minister for prioritising access to healthcare, particularly for people living in underserved and remote communities.
He said strong collaboration among government institutions, health professionals, traditional authorities, community leaders and citizens would be necessary to ensure the programme achieves its objectives.
The Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Caroline Reindorf Amissah, praised the Minister’s efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery across the country.
She disclosed that the Ghana Health Service had already developed strategies to operationalise the initiative at the district and community levels and that training programmes were underway nationwide to prepare health workers for implementation.
Dr. Amissah said the programme would bring healthcare providers closer to communities and enable health managers to design services based on the specific needs of the populations they serve.
She called on traditional authorities, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives, community leaders and other stakeholders to support the initiative.
Dr. Amissah also revealed that the Ministry of Health had provided additional logistics to the Ghana Health Service to facilitate implementation.
According to her, health workers have been equipped with a comprehensive checklist and will conduct home and community visits to engage residents, monitor health indicators and provide preventive healthcare services.
She urged communities to cooperate with health workers to help improve health outcomes across the country.
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