The Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority, Dr Victor Asare Bampoe, has announced that the government will soon launch the much-anticipated Free Primary Health Care Initiative to guarantee basic healthcare access for all Ghanaians with or without an NHIS card.

Speaking on JoyFM Super Morning Show on February 25, the initiative, Dr Asare Bampoe, disclosed that President John Dramani Mahama and the Minister of Health will officially launch the programme in the coming days.

“Very soon, His Excellency the President and the Minister of Health will be launching what we call the Free Primary Health Care Initiative,” he stated.

According to him, the policy means every Ghanaian can access essential healthcare services at designated facilities without worrying about insurance status.

“Whether you have a card or not, once you are a Ghanaian, you can go to certain facilities — the CHPS compounds, the health centres, the polyclinics — and get a basic minimum healthcare package.”

He stressed that the ongoing retooling exercise is to ensure these facilities are adequately prepared to deliver quality free primary healthcare.

“The retooling is to make sure that the facilities are ready to provide this free primary health care,” he explained.

Dr Asare Bampoe revealed worrying gaps in medical equipment across the country.

''There are only five mammogram machines, very few MRI machines, very few CT scan machines,” he disclosed.

He said addressing these shortages forms part of a broader national retooling agenda.

Dr Asare Bampoe explained that the Free Primary Health Care Initiative will work alongside the NHIS and the newly introduced Ghana Medical Trust Fund — also known as Mahama Cares — to provide a seamless healthcare system.

“Where the NHIA ends, then Mahama Care begins,” he said.

“We want to provide a seamless experience for Ghanaians — from free primary health care to the regular NHIS scheme to Mahama Cares for chronic diseases.”

He emphasised that, unlike previous systems, the new policy prioritises prevention and health promotion — not just curative care.

“It’s not only looking at curative care. It’s looking at prevention and promotion, which is something we haven’t focused on enough.”

He noted that expanding access to specialist services across the country is a key part of the reform agenda.

The Free Primary Health Care Initiative is expected to significantly reshape Ghana’s healthcare delivery system by improving access, strengthening prevention, and reducing the financial burden on households.