The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has called on District Directors of Health Services (DDHS) across Ghana to take full ownership of the government’s Free Primary Healthcare (FPHC) policy, stressing that its success will depend largely on effective implementation at the district and community levels.
The Health Minister made the call at the 33rd Annual Conference of the District Directors of Health Services Group Ghana, held under the theme, “From Policy to Practice: The DDHS Driving Free Primary Health Care in Ghana.”
According to Mr Akandoh, government policies, programmes and healthcare initiatives can only achieve their intended impact when health professionals working directly within communities effectively implement them.
DDHS Key to Free Primary Healthcare
The Health Minister urged District Directors of Health Services to gain a clear understanding of the Free Primary Healthcare policy and effectively communicate its objectives to health workers and communities.
He described the district health directors as the “soldiers on the ground”, emphasising their critical role in transforming government healthcare policies into practical services for Ghanaians.
Mr Akandoh said strong leadership at the district level would be essential to ensuring that the FPHC programme reaches people who need healthcare services the most.
Free Primary Healthcare to Complement NHIS
The Health Minister explained that the Free Primary Healthcare programme is designed to complement the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) while strengthening healthcare delivery at the grassroots level.
The programme focuses on improving preventive, promotive and curative healthcare services through facilities including CHPS compounds, health centres and polyclinics.
By strengthening primary healthcare delivery, the government aims to make essential medical services more accessible to communities across Ghana.
Government Focuses on Community-Level Healthcare
The conference highlighted the important role of District Directors of Health Services in ensuring that national health policies are effectively translated into services at the community level.
The initiative also seeks to strengthen district-level leadership, accountability and ownership of the Free Primary Healthcare programme.
Effective implementation of the policy is expected to improve access to quality healthcare, particularly for people in communities where access to essential medical services remains a challenge.
The Health Ministry continues to emphasise the importance of bringing accessible, affordable and equitable healthcare services closer to Ghanaians, with the Free Primary Healthcare policy forming a key part of efforts to strengthen Ghana’s primary healthcare system.
Source: newsthemegh.com