The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has announced plans to expand Ghana’s Free Primary Health Care (FPHC) programme to all parts of the country by the end of 2028.

He said the initiative would initially be implemented in 150 of Ghana’s 261 districts, with underserved districts being prioritised.

He said the Government was prepared to support the rollout with more than 24,000 pieces of medical equipment to be distributed across the country.

“We have more than 24,000 pieces of equipment to be distributed across the length and breadth of this country,” Mr Akandoh, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Juaboso Constituency in the Western North Region, said.

He said about 9,000 kits would be deployed as part of the initial distribution, with the Upper East Region receiving approximately 1,320 kits.

Mr Akandoh was speaking at a FPHC durbar at Zuarungu in the Bolgatanga East District as part of the two-day “Resetting Ghana Tour” of President John Dramani Mahama.

The Minister also disclosed that funding had been released to support the implementation of the programme, saying the Government was “fully prepared for the implementation of the free primary health care.”

Mr Akandoh described the programme as a significant shift in Ghana’s approach to healthcare financing, particularly through the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

He said while the NHIS had traditionally focused on paying for the treatment of illnesses, the new initiative would place greater emphasis on disease prevention.

“The game changer here is that at this point in time, we are paying to prevent diseases. Instead of paying to treat diseases, the strategy now is to pay to prevent diseases, if possible,” the Sector Minister said.

He explained that the FPHC programme would complement, rather than replace, existing interventions, including the NHIS and the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, popularly known as MahamaCares.

Mr Akandoh said the three programmes were designed to work together to provide patients with support at different levels of the healthcare system.

“One is not a replacement of the other. We are complementing each other,” he added.

He noted that under the FPHC programme, services would be provided from Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds through health centres to polyclinics.

Mr Akandoh said treatment for common conditions, including malaria, respiratory diseases and diarrhoea, would be covered when patients accessed care at those facilities.

He, however, cautioned that the FPHC programme was limited and would not cover treatment beyond the polyclinic level.

“If you are referred to the district hospital, if you are referred to the regular hospital, or if you are referred to the teaching hospital, you need another intervention,” he explained.

The Sector Minister urged citizens to enrol on the NHIS to ensure continuity of care when patients required services beyond the primary healthcare level.

He added that the government targeted more than 90 per cent NHIS coverage by the end of 2028 to complement the FPHC programme.

“It is our expectation that by the end of 2028, we might be targeting more than 90 per cent coverage of the National Health Insurance Scheme,” he said.

He said the Ghana Medical Trust Fund would provide another layer of support for conditions not adequately covered by the NHIS, including cardiovascular and other non-communicable diseases.

He said as part of the programme, health workers would visit homes to help residents stay healthy, and urged chiefs, traditional and religious leaders, and communities to support health professionals in their communities.

“Let’s welcome our health professionals to our homes well. They are there to assist you to have a healthy life,” he said.