The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has announced that the government’s free primary healthcare initiative will be implemented in phases, with an initial focus on underserved districts across the country.
According to the Minister, the first phase will cover 150 out of Ghana’s 261 districts, prioritising areas with limited access to healthcare services.
“The free primary health care, we are not going to roll all at once. We are going to do it in phases… the first phase will be 150 districts and we are targeting the under-served districts,” he stated in an interview on TV3 New Day’s The Big Issue, Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
He explained that the phased approach will allow government to assess progress, address operational challenges, and refine the rollout strategy before expanding the programme nationwide.
The Minister added that each region will have selected districts included in the first phase, ensuring equitable distribution while focusing on communities most in need.
He noted that lessons learned from the initial implementation will guide subsequent phases, as government works to improve access to quality healthcare across the country.
The free primary healthcare programme forms part of broader efforts to strengthen Ghana’s health system and reduce disparities in access to essential medical services.
The Free Primary Healthcare policy seeks to remove user fees at the point of care and provide essential services with a strong focus on preventive, promotive and basic curative healthcare, particularly for vulnerable populations.
The initiative is expected to improve financial protection, expand access to healthcare services and enhance service quality nationwide.
Source:3news.com
