President John Mahama has indicated the government’s plan to engage civil society volunteers in implementing the Free Primary Healthcare Programme upon its launch.

He disclosed this during a courtesy call by the President of the Ghana Red Cross Society, Dr Edward Donkor, and Dr Ghulam Mohammed Awam, Head of Delegation of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Abuja Cluster, which is responsible for Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, and Benin.

“So, we’re attacking the challenges on two fronts, one with the Ghana Medical Trust Fund called Mahama Care, and then with the Free Primary Healthcare.”

He explained that the Free Primary Healthcare Programme is designed to complement efforts to improve access to and treatment of healthcare, ensuring a healthy society.

“It is supposed to be a wellness activity, preventive, so that we reduce the disease burden, especially when it comes to non-communicable diseases. A lot of times, people get a cardiac incident because they don’t even know that they are hypertensive,” he explained.

The President said in the 2026 Budget, an allocation of GHS 2.1 billion has been made to kick-start the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (MahamaCares), adding that its registration portal will soon open for patients diagnosed with critical ailments, such as cancer, liver, and kidney diseases, who need treatment.

The visit was to give the Society’s leadership an opportunity to appraise their Patron on their achievements and present to him the challenges that require urgent redress.

President Mahama congratulated the Red Cross Society on its impact over the past years and promised to allocate budget funds to support its operations.

The Ghana Red Cross Society is a volunteer-based humanitarian organisation that provides disaster response, first aid training, health education, and community support to prevent and alleviate human suffering.