The announcement by the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, that the government’s Free Primary Healthcare programme has gone live in 135 districts across all 16 regions is, without doubt, one of the most significant health policy interventions in recent years.
For a country where many citizens still wait until an illness becomes severe before seeking care — often because of cost, distance, or the need for a National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) card — this shift from hospital-centred curative care to community-based preventive care is both timely and transformative.
The Daily Graphic commends the government for this bold move.
The most effective health systems in the world are built on strong primary health care.
The numbers so far are impressive and show serious preparation since the programme was launched in April 2026.
A total of 4,574 facilities, made up of 3,781 CHPS compounds, 746 health centres and 48 polyclinics, are participating, together with facilities run by the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) and other partners.
More than 24,500 pieces of equipment have been distributed, 5,000 health worker bags dispatched for house-to-house services, and more than 7,000 motorbikes and tricycles are expected to aid mobility.
The initial target of 150 deprived districts, with 135 already covered and 15 more to be added by the end of the year, and a national scale-up by the end of 2027, shows a phased, realistic rollout that avoids the pitfalls of past grand announcements that collapsed under their own weight.
The clarity needs to be provided. Free Primary Healthcare is not free universal hospital care.
It covers services at CHPS, health centres and polyclinics.
It is not a replacement for the NHIS, but a complement to reduce the burden of preventable conditions on the scheme.
And crucially, residents in the 135 districts do not need an NHIS card to access care.
They can walk in, register and be attended to.
This point alone removes a major barrier. For years, expired NHIS cards, network failures, and co-payments have deterred the poorest from seeking care.
By decoupling primary care from insurance status, the government is returning to the core principle of health as a right.
But as we celebrate this milestone, we must also confront the hard questions that will determine whether this programme becomes a lasting legacy or another well-intentioned policy that fades.
First, funding and sustainability. Free Primary Healthcare will cost money — drugs, consumables, equipment maintenance, fuel for motorbikes, allowances for community health workers.
The NHIS itself has struggled with timely releases and indebtedness to service providers.
Where will the dedicated, ring-fenced funding for this programme come from? Will it be captured in the national budget or supported by levies?
Ghanaians have seen free policies start with enthusiasm and end with facilities telling patients "no drugs" because reimbursements have been delayed.
The ministry needs to show a clear financing framework and ensure facilities are resourced before demand surges.
An area of concern is staffing. CHPS compounds are the backbone of this programme, yet many are understaffed, with one Community Health Officer manning a facility meant for three.
Training has been done, but retention remains a challenge, especially in the deprived districts targeted.
The 5,000 bags and 7,000 motorbikes are useful only if there are motivated health workers to use them.
Chiefs, queenmothers, assembly members, religious leaders and local radio stations must be enlisted to explain what services are available under the programme, where, and how.
If done right, the benefits are enormous.
Early detection of hypertension, diabetes, malaria, and maternal complications at the CHPS level will save lives and save the NHIS millions of cedis.
Shifting care to communities will decongest regional hospitals.
And focusing on prevention will build a healthier, more productive nation — a prerequisite for economic growth.
This country has been here before with promising starts.
The CHPS concept itself, introduced over two decades ago, was hailed globally but suffered from underfunding and uneven implementation.
This time, it must be different.
The sight of 4,574 facilities ready for operation is encouraging.
The real test, however, will be in six months, when a mother in a village in the Savannah Region walks into a CHPS compound without an NHIS card and without money, and walks out with care, dignity and drugs.
That is the promise of Free Primary Healthcare.
It must be kept.
