President John Dramani Mahama has unveiled a new community-based primary health care model introducing “primary administrators,” health volunteers, and mobile screening teams to expand access to basic health services nationwide.

Speaking at the launch of the policy at the Shai Osudoku District Hospital, the President said he has rolled out a new primary health care delivery model aimed at strengthening access to basic health services at the community level.

Under the initiative, he explained that trained health professionals will serve as “primary administrators” stationed at community-based locations such as CHPS compounds and other designated areas to coordinate local health delivery.

“We’re going to have a category of health professionals in CHPS compounds and other places who would be the primary administrators of primary health care,” he stated.

The President also introduced a health volunteers scheme, which will include national service personnel as well as newly trained nurses and paramedics awaiting official postings.

According to him, these volunteers will be deployed to support free primary health care delivery while they await permanent postings, with an incentive of priority consideration when posting opportunities arise.

“And so there will be the health volunteers… when it’s time for posting, we’ll give them priority in terms of posting,” he noted.

He further explained that the system will include both fixed “health kiosks” and mobile teams equipped with basic diagnostic tools to reach people in their communities.

Some teams, he said, will conduct outreach services in open community spaces, including under trees, where residents can quickly access basic health checks.

“They will go from place to place… " You just come and take your test quickly,” he said.

The President added that the teams will be trained to carry out essential screenings, including blood pressure checks, blood sugar tests, and breast cancer awareness examinations.

They will also assess body mass index (BMI) to help identify individuals at risk of non-communicable diseases, using height and weight measurements to guide health advice.

According to him, the initiative is designed to promote early detection, preventive care, and wider access to basic health services across communities.