The minister of health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has indicated that the government would require a minimum of GH₵1.2 billion annually to effectively implement its comprehensive free primary healthcare policy.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on April 13, the minister outlined the financial framework supporting the policy, expected to significantly enhance access to healthcare services, particularly in underserved areas.
Kwabena Mintah Akandoh assured the public that a thorough costing exercise had been undertaken to determine the necessary resources for the policy’s successful rollout and sustainability.
The initiative, he emphasised, is a well-structured programme backed by meticulous financial planning and projections, rather than a temporary measure.
According to the minister, the policy’s design and implementation strategies have undergone rigorous analysis, including consultations with key stakeholders and health sector experts, ensuring they are grounded in practical realities.
“We have done the costing, and we need not less than GH₵1.2 billion a year to be able to run this, and so it is not an ad hoc programme. We have thought through it, we have engaged widely, and we have done our projections, and so we know what we are doing.”
He added that the rollout of the Free Primary Health Care Programme will be done across 150 underserved districts.
Over the next two months, Ghanaians are expected to witness the first tangible phases of this transformation as the government moves to decentralise essential medical services.
To ensure the programme’s immediate efficacy, the Ministry has confirmed that essential health equipment will be distributed to all participating districts within this initial phase.
A nationwide community sensitisation campaign involving town hall meetings and direct public engagements is set to begin, ensuring citizens are fully informed of the new services available to them, he said while taking his turn at the Government Accountability Series on Monday, April 13, 2026.
In a bid to increase the existing medical workforce, a dedicated cohort of trained volunteers will be deployed to support community health teams.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
