The government’s Free Primary Healthcare programme has now reached 135 districts, with the remaining 15 districts in the first phase expected to be added by the end of the year.
President John Mahama announced this during a durbar in the Daffiama-Bussie-Issa District as part of his two-day Resetting Ghana Tour of the Upper West Region.
The programme, launched earlier this year in Dodowa, initially targeted 150 districts and is expected to cover all 261 districts by the end of 2028.
President Mahama explained that the initiative is designed to remove financial and geographical barriers that prevent many Ghanaians from accessing basic healthcare.
Under the programme, patients can receive basic diagnosis and treatment at CHPS compounds, health centres and polyclinics without paying for the service.
The services include treatment for common illnesses such as malaria, typhoid and diarrhoeal diseases, as well as antenatal and postnatal care.
Importantly, patients do not need an NHIS card to access the free primary healthcare services.
The President, however, encouraged Ghanaians to register with the NHIS because patients who require referrals beyond the primary healthcare level would need NHIS coverage.
He said NHIS coverage had increased from about 60 percent when his administration took office to 76 percent, but noted that about 24 percent of the population remained outside the scheme.
President Mahama said distance to health facilities was one of the major barriers facing those without access to healthcare, hence the decision to take services directly into communities.
The programme therefore combines curative and preventive healthcare, with health workers expected to visit homes, screen families and identify health conditions early.
Government has also begun providing equipment and logistics to support the programme. More than 25,000 pieces of medical equipment have already been delivered, with an additional 12,000 expected.
Motorcycles, tricycles and diagnostic kits are also being provided to enable health workers to reach people in remote communities.
President Mahama urged Ghanaians to take advantage of the free screening services and make regular health checks part of their routine.
He stressed that early detection of conditions such as hypertension and diabetes could help prevent serious complications.
The President also highlighted the importance of maternal healthcare, saying women would benefit from antenatal and postnatal services, basic scans and medical advice, with complicated cases referred to district hospitals for further treatment.
He said the government was determined to ensure that healthcare was not only available to people who could afford it or lived close to hospitals, but to every Ghanaian regardless of location or economic circumstances.
He expressed satisfaction with the medical equipment being presented to health facilities in the Daffiama-Bussie-Issa District and said the broader objective was to bring quality primary healthcare closer to the people.
