President John Dramani Mahama will formally launch his flagship Free Primary Health Care Programme, which aims to achieve universal health coverage, today, Wednesday.
The initiative, which is a cornerstone of the President’s social contract with Ghanaians, will launch its first phase in the next two months, focusing on 150 disadvantaged districts around the country.
Kwabena Mintah Akandoh (MP), Minister for Health, spoke at the Government Accountability Series at the Presidency on Monday, April 13. He explained the vast logistical deployment that will accompany the program.
To ensure that no Ghanaian is left behind, the government is opening over 350 container-based service delivery centers in high-traffic places including as main markets and truck parks.
The Health Minister announced, “This is governance with a heart. We are not just waiting for patients to come to us; we are taking healthcare to where the people are in their homes, schools, workplaces, and markets.”
The Ministry of Health has started deploying 24,534 pieces of vital medical equipment across the country to assist with the rollout. The goal of this investment is to increase CHPS compounds’ and health centers’ ability to deliver prompt, high-quality care.
Proactive prevention takes precedence over reactive therapy in the country thanks to the Free Primary Health Care Program.
According to the minister, the policy includes immunisations, full treatment for respiratory infections, diarrhoea, and malaria, routine screenings for obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and various cancers, prenatal and postnatal care, and counselling on family planning, menstrual hygiene, and safe water management.
The policy is based on a smooth referral mechanism, Mr. Akandoh clarified. Complex cases will be referred to polyclinics or secondary institutions, while minor ailments will be treated at the community level. A “back-referral” mechanism will guarantee follow-up care at the community level.
The Minister stressed, “What we are building is a complete system, from prevention to treatment to specialised care.”
“This is what the pathway to health sovereignty looks like under a responsible government. We are ensuring that diseases are detected early, avoidable deaths are reduced, and the overall health of our population is secured,” he reiterated.
President Mahama’s vision of a nation where healthcare is a right, not a privilege, has been realised with the introduction of the Free Primary Health Care Programme, one of the biggest expansions of Ghana’s social safety net in decades.
Source: newsthemegh.com