President John Dramani Mahama has once again fulfilled a key campaign promise, rolling out free primary healthcare services to communities across Ghana while urging citizens to prioritise annual health screening.
The initiative brings quality basic healthcare directly to the doorsteps of Ghanaians at no cost, marking a significant step toward achieving universal health coverage. It represents a major shift in healthcare delivery, strengthening the system and ensuring essential services are accessible to all.
Launched nationwide yesterday by President Mahama, the programme forms part of the government’s broader vision to improve national wellbeing under the “Accra Reset” agenda.
At the heart of the policy are two complementary pillars: the Free Primary Healthcare (FPHC) programme and the MahamaCare initiative. While both aim to expand access and improve health outcomes, they operate at different levels of the system.
The FPHC programme focuses on community-level care delivered through CHPS compounds, health centres, clinics and polyclinics. It prioritises preventive care, early disease detection and basic treatment services such as immunisation, maternal healthcare and health education. Notably, patients receive these services free at the point of delivery under the framework of the National Health Insurance Scheme, avoiding the need for a parallel system.
Complementing this is MahamaCare, a dedicated trust fund designed to support patients requiring treatment for chronic or high-cost conditions. It provides direct financial assistance to both patients and healthcare facilities, helping to ease the burden of specialised care.
The overarching goal is to eliminate financial barriers, promote preventive healthcare and significantly reduce preventable diseases and deaths through early detection and timely treatment.
Addressing the nation at the launch, President Mahama stressed that accessible and affordable healthcare is essential for both individual wellbeing and national development. He noted that while Ghana has made significant strides through the NHIS, gaps remain—particularly in underserved and rural communities—making free primary healthcare a necessary next step.
He also underscored the importance of prevention, encouraging every Ghanaian to undergo basic health screening at least once a year.
“A major part of free primary healthcare is screening,” he emphasised, noting that early detection can prevent minor conditions from becoming serious illnesses.
The President further called on traditional and religious leaders to support the initiative by mobilising their communities to embrace regular health checks.
With the rollout of free primary healthcare, Ghana takes a bold step toward building a more inclusive, preventive and resilient health system—one that puts people first at the community level.
