The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has indicated that the government will need a minimum of GH₵1.2 billion each year to implement its Free Primary Healthcare policy, highlighting the scale of investment required to reform healthcare delivery across the country.

Addressing participants at the Government Accountability Series on Monday, April 13, the Minister outlined the financial structure supporting the initiative. The policy is expected to widen access to healthcare services, particularly for communities that are currently underserved.

He explained that the government has already carried out a detailed costing exercise to assess the resources necessary for both the rollout and long-term sustainability of the programme. This, he said, ensures the policy is built on solid financial planning rather than being a short-term intervention.

According to the Minister, the initiative has undergone extensive scrutiny, including consultations with key stakeholders and health sector experts, to ensure its design and implementation are realistic and effective.

He added that the level of preparation undertaken gives the government strong confidence in the policy’s success once it is fully implemented.

“We have done the costing, and we need not less than GH₵1.2 billion a year to be able to run this, and so it is not an ad hoc programme. We have thought through it, we have engaged widely, and we have done our projections, and so we know what we are doing.”