By Godfred Aaneamenga Polkuu, GNA
Bolgatanga, July 3, GNA – The Government has launched the Free Primary Health Care (FPHC) Programme in the Upper East Region, marking a major step toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and ensuring access to basic healthcare regardless of financial constraints.
The launch, held under the theme; “Free Primary Health Care: Removing Financial Barriers Towards Achieving Universal Health Coverage,” brought together key healthcare stakeholders from across the region.
Mr Donatus Akamugri Atanga, the Regional Minister, in a speech read on his behalf, said the initiative marked “a defining moment in our nation’s health care journey” and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to making quality healthcare accessible to every citizen.
“Health care is not a privilege reserved for a few. It is a fundamental human right that must be accessible to every Ghanaian,” Mr Atanga stated.
He noted that the programme reflected the vision of President John Dramani Mahama to build a healthcare system that prioritized prevention over treatment while eliminating the financial barriers that often prevent people from seeking timely medical attention.
According to the Minister, many families had historically delayed seeking treatment because they could not afford upfront costs, which frequently caused preventable illnesses to become life-threatening, emphasizing that, “The Free Primary Health Care Programme seeks to remove these barriers.”
He added that “It represents a major transformation in the delivery of health care in Ghana by shifting our emphasis from treating illness after it occurs to preventing diseases before they develop.”
The FPHC programme would provide free access to a comprehensive range of essential services including maternal and child healthcare, antenatal and postnatal care, immunizations, and the treatment of common illnesses like malaria and respiratory infections.
He said the programme would also cover nutrition counseling, family planning, and screenings for hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and selected cancers.
The Minister further added that the initiative would complement the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) while strengthening Ghana’s Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) strategy, which had successfully brought healthcare closer to rural communities.
He commended the Upper East Region as one of the country’s strongest pillars of community health delivery, and noted that despite challenges such as dispersed settlements, seasonal disease outbreaks, and the complexities of its international border locations, health workers in the region continued to demonstrate remarkable resilience and professionalism.
Mr Atanga assured residents that the government would continue to invest heavily in primary healthcare infrastructure, including expanding access to essential medicines and medical equipment, improving logistics, strengthening digital health systems, and better equipping CHPS compounds and health centres.
Dr Braimah Baba Abubakari, the Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), announced at the launch that the first consignment of medical equipment for the programme had already arrived in the region and would soon be distributed to local facilities.
The inventory included baby incubators, electrocardiogram (ECG) machines, ultrasound scanners, blood pressure monitors, defibrillators, and two mobile X-ray machines.
He said the region was expects to receive additional motorcycles, tricycles, and home-visit kits to bolster community outreach efforts.
Dr Abubakari revealed that the Upper East Region was among the first territories selected to pioneer the programme, with 14 of its 15 districts already benefiting from the initial phase.
To maximize reach, he said health posts or kiosks would be established across 11 strategically selected markets, busy lorry stations, and underserved communities.
Currently, only the Bolgatanga Municipality remained outside the active implementation phase, after which the region would achieve full programme coverage.
The Regional Director emphasized that these essential preventive services including mental health conditions, treatment of minor ailments, health education, and chronic disease screenings would be provided completely free of charge, irrespective of an individual’s NHIS membership status.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Godfred Aaneamenga Polkuu
Email: [email protected]