President John Dramani Mahama has launched the Free Primary Healthcare (FPHC) Programme, a major new health initiative aimed at bringing preventive and basic healthcare services closer to communities.
The programme, launched at the Shai Osudoku District Hospital in Dodowa, is designed to complement the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) by providing free primary healthcare services to all citizens and legal residents, regardless of their insurance status.
Unlike the NHIS, which largely supports treatment after people fall sick, the FPHC will focus strongly on prevention, early detection and community-based care.
President Mahama said the programme would rely heavily on community health nurses, volunteers and outreach teams to conduct household visits, educate residents and provide basic screening services.
“At least every Ghanaian must be screened once a year,” he said, noting that early detection of conditions such as hypertension could help reduce serious illnesses later.
Under the initiative, CHPS compounds, health centres and polyclinics will provide free screening and treatment for common illnesses such as malaria, cholera and respiratory infections.
Patients will only need a Ghana Card or another form of identification to access these services at the community level.
The President explained that people requiring more advanced treatment at district hospitals would then need to use their NHIS cards for continued care.
He added that patients with serious conditions such as kidney failure requiring dialysis would be referred to the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, also known as Mahamacare, for free treatment at accredited facilities.
President Mahama said the programme was necessary because non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, stroke, heart disease, cancers and kidney failure had become major health concerns in Ghana.
He urged Ghanaians to adopt healthier lifestyles, eat better and exercise regularly to reduce their risk of developing such conditions.
The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, said the first phase of the programme would begin in 150 districts across the country.
He added that the remaining districts would be included in 2027, with nationwide coverage expected by 2028.
Traditional and religious leaders have also been called upon to support the programme by encouraging their communities to participate fully in screenings and preventive healthcare activities.
