President John Dramani Mahama has launched the Government’s flagship health-sector initiative, the Free Primary Healthcare (FPHC) Programme, to complement the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
The FPHC is a Government policy designed to ensure that every citizen and legal resident has access to essential healthcare services at the primary level, regardless of insurance status, thereby expanding access to quality and affordable healthcare.
The launch, held at the Shai Osudoku District Hospital in Dodowa in the Greater Accra Region, marks a significant step towards strengthening Ghana’s primary healthcare system and advancing universal health coverage.
President Mahama said achieving universal health coverage remained a global priority, noting that while the NHIS had significantly expanded healthcare access and affordability, pockets of underserved communities—particularly in rural areas—still existed.
“And so for countries that want to extend the reach so that they can achieve universal health coverage, they include the primary healthcare aspect,” he said.
He observed that the NHIS was largely curative in nature, as patients typically accessed care only when they were already ill.
Under the FPHC Programme, the President said community health nurses and volunteers would play a critical role through household visits, community outreach programmes, health education and basic screening services.
He said a key pillar of the programme was prevention, aimed at early detection and treatment of illnesses before they progressed into more serious conditions.
“At least every Ghanaian must be screened once a year, and that includes basic screening such as hypertension,” President Mahama said.
He explained that FPHC posts would be equipped with sphygmomanometers to enable blood pressure checks, stressing that lifestyle and dietary changes could prevent or reverse early-stage hypertension.
“If the blood pressure is high and requires treatment, then the person will be referred to the district hospital level,” he added.
President Mahama reiterated that the FPHC was not a replacement for the NHIS, but a complementary intervention.
“At the primary level, everything is free of charge. Screening is free, and basic illnesses such as malaria, cholera and respiratory infections will be treated at CHPS compounds with available medications,” he said.
He explained that patients referred to district hospitals would require their NHIS cards to access further treatment and medicines.
“At the polyclinic, health centre and CHPS compound levels, you do not need an NHIS card. You only need your Ghana Card or any form of identification to prove residency in the community,” he said.
The President further explained that patients with advanced conditions such as kidney failure requiring dialysis would be referred to the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, also known as Mahamacare, for free dialysis treatment at accredited centres.
President Mahama noted that non-communicable diseases had become Ghana’s highest disease burden, citing hypertension, strokes, cardiovascular diseases, breast and cervical cancers, and renal failure.
He said the FPHC would also focus on public education to reduce vulnerability to such diseases, urging Ghanaians to adopt healthier lifestyles, avoid heavy meals late at night and engage in regular physical exercise.
Following the rollout of the programme, the President appealed to traditional and religious leaders to mobilise their communities to support the initiative.
The Minister of Health, Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, said the first phase of the programme would cover 150 districts nationwide, with phase two expanding to the remaining districts in 2027 and full national coverage 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 full support of the House towards the successful implementation of the FPHC and other national development programmes.
