Mahama announces 20% salary incentive for health workers in deprived areas

President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans to introduce a 20 per cent basic salary incentive for health professionals who accept postings to deprived and underserved communities.

The initiative forms part of efforts to address the uneven distribution of healthcare workers and improve access to medical services in areas where residents face significant challenges in obtaining care.

Speaking in Wa on Friday, September 11, 2026, President Mahama said the process of implementing the Deprived Area Incentive package had commenced, following concerns from the Ghana Medical Association that the policy had remained inactive at the Ministry of Health.

He said the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission had been directed to identify eligible districts and facilitate the implementation of the incentive after the necessary approvals had been obtained.

“For those who come to underserved areas, you get another 20 per cent of basic salary as an incentive for accepting postings,” he said.

The President also promised improvements in the living and working conditions of health workers in deprived districts, including better roads, water supply, electricity and other essential infrastructure.

He added that health facilities would be equipped with the tools and logistics needed to enable medical personnel to work effectively.

President Mahama made the announcement while handing over equipment to the Fian Health Centre in the Daffiama-Bussie-Issa (DBI) District in support of the government’s Free Primary Healthcare Programme.

Mahama: Healthcare Must Reach Every Community

The President said the government’s universal health coverage agenda was anchored in the belief that every Ghanaian should have access to affordable healthcare, regardless of their location.

He disclosed that Ghana’s population was approximately 34 million and that coverage under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) stood at about 60 per cent, or slightly below, when the government took office.

According to him, NHIS coverage had since risen to approximately 76 per cent within one and a half years.

President Mahama, however, noted that the remaining 24 per cent continued to face obstacles to healthcare access, with the distance between communities and health facilities being a major factor.

“Sometimes the reasons they don't have access are due to distance from the health facility,” he said.

He explained that the government was therefore pursuing a community-based approach that would bring healthcare services closer to residents who were unable to travel to health facilities.

“If these people cannot come to the health facility, we must take the health facility to them,” he said.

The approach, he noted, underpinned the Free Primary Healthcare Programme, which covers Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds, health centres and polyclinics.

Services under the programme include basic diagnosis and treatment, antenatal and postnatal care, immunisation, health screening and the treatment of common conditions such as malaria, typhoid and diarrhoea.

President Mahama said beneficiaries would not need to present NHIS cards before receiving care at the primary healthcare level.

“If you go to a CHPS compound, a polyclinic, or a health centre, nobody should ask you for a health insurance card. You will be treated and given medicines free of charge,” he said.

The first phase of the programme, he disclosed, was targeting 150 of the most deprived districts nationwide.

He said 135 districts had already been included, with the remaining 15 expected to join by the end of the year.

President Mahama stressed that the initiative was designed not only to treat illnesses but also to promote prevention and early diagnosis. Health professionals would consequently visit homes to screen residents and provide guidance on healthy lifestyles.

He urged Ghanaians to undergo medical screening at least once every year, particularly for non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.

Health Ministry Distributes Equipment to Primary Facilities

The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, disclosed that approximately 24,000 pieces of basic medical equipment had already been distributed to primary healthcare facilities across the country.

He said a further 12,000 pieces were expected to be supplied as part of efforts to address equipment shortages, which remain a major obstacle to effective primary healthcare delivery.

Mr Akandoh said the programme marked a departure from a healthcare model that primarily responded to illness after it occurred, towards one that placed greater emphasis on prevention and early detection.

“We are changing where healthcare begins from the hospital to the community,” he said.

The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, said the programme had begun producing results following its rollout in all 16 regions.

He said implementation had so far reached 135 districts, adding that more than 54,000 households had been assessed and over 12,000 home visits conducted during the first week.

The exercise had also involved antenatal services and follow-ups, immunisation, child growth monitoring and the detection of new cases of non-communicable diseases.

Dr Akoriyea further reported that more than 5,700 households had been registered, while about 590 home visits had been conducted.

He said the initiative was helping to restore the dignity of people who had been excluded from formal healthcare services because of poverty, distance and other barriers.