Accra, April 15, – President John Dramani Mahama has launched the government’s Free Primary Healthcare (FPHC) Programme as part of efforts to expand access to essential health services and complement the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
The programme, launched at the Shai Osudoku District Hospital in Dodowa in the Greater Accra Region, forms part of government’s strategy to strengthen primary healthcare delivery and advance universal health coverage.
It is designed to ensure that every citizen and legal resident can access basic healthcare services at the primary level, regardless of their insurance status.
President Mahama said the NHIS had improved access to healthcare over the years, but gaps remained, particularly in underserved rural communities.
He noted that the scheme had been largely curative, with many patients reporting to health facilities only after falling ill, hence the need to prioritise preventive healthcare under the new initiative.
Under the FPHC Programme, community health nurses and volunteers will be deployed to undertake household visits, community outreach activities, health education and basic screening services.
He said the focus of the programme was prevention, early detection and prompt treatment of diseases before they became severe.
“At least every Ghanaian must be screened once a year, and that includes basic screening such as hypertension,” he said.
President Mahama explained that CHPS compounds under the programme would provide free treatment for basic conditions such as malaria, cholera and respiratory infections, while more serious cases would be referred to district hospitals.
“At the primary level, everything is free of charge. Screening is free,” he added.
He said patients referred to higher-level facilities would be required to present their NHIS cards to access further treatment.
He further indicated that persons attending CHPS compounds, health centres and polyclinics would only need proof of residency such as the Ghana Card or other valid identification.
President Mahama said patients requiring specialised treatment, including dialysis for kidney failure, would be referred to the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, also known as Mahamacare, for free care at accredited facilities.
He said non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, stroke, cardiovascular diseases, cancers and kidney failure had become major contributors to the national disease burden.
He therefore urged Ghanaians to adopt healthier lifestyles, including regular exercise and improved dietary habits, to reduce the incidence of such conditions.
The Minister of Health, Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, said the programme would be implemented in phases, with the first covering 150 districts and full national rollout expected by 2028.
In a goodwill message, Daasebre Kwebu Ewusi VII, Paramount Chief of the Abeadze State and former Vice President of the National House of Chiefs, pledged the support of the House towards the successful implementation of the initiative.
GHBUSS
15 April 2026
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