Former Minister of Communications, Dr Edward Omane Boamah says the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) Free Primary Healthcare Policy will be funded by the National Consolidated fund.

According to him, the source of financing for the Policy will be largely from the oil revenue as well as taxed and non-taxed revenue. This, however, does not mean there will be an increase in taxes.

Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express, he said: “The chunk of it is going to come from the Consolidated Fund and in this case, specifically, the annual budget funding amount which is oil revenue that is part of it and then also tax and non-tax revenue that will be collected. This is not an indication that we are going to increase taxes, not at all.”

The NDC in their 2020 Manifesto has pledged to provide free primary healthcare to all Ghanaians.

According to Dr Omane Boamah, the free healthcare policy will encapsulate outreach programmes as well as other preventive measures and exercises to bring healthcare to the doorsteps of Ghanaians.

“Presently as we speak, the per capita outpatient department visit for Ghana is 0.97 which means that the average Ghanaian visits the hospital less than once in a year, the average Ghanaian visits the CHPS compound less than one in a year.

“But free primary health care is not exactly primary care, so what this also means is that if the person is not even visiting, a health promotion person, a preventive health person will also be doing outreaches via radio and all to be able to reach out to these people.”

He added that the cost of each visit will range from US$8 - US$12, which will be borne by the state.

He, however, clarified that should the NDC be voted to office on December 7, taxes will not be increased because of the efficient use of the funds and the proper management of the policy.

He added that due to structural inefficiencies plaguing the health sector currently and the havoc the pandemic had wreaked on the sector, the policy is projected to come into effect at the end of next year, 2021.