The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, says the government plans to roll out its free primary healthcare programme by the first week of April 2026.

Speaking to the media on February 7, 2026, he explained that the initiative is expected to improve access to essential services and ease the financial burden on citizens.

He said Ghanaians will not be required to pay to access basic healthcare services at the primary level.

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“It's an expectation that we rule it out as early as possible. It shouldn't go beyond the first week of April. You don't need to necessarily pay anything to access at least primary healthcare. All you need is to identify yourself as a Ghanaian. All you need is to identify yourself as a Ghanaian,” he said.

According to Mintah Akandoh, the free primary healthcare system will work hand-in-hand with a robust national health insurance policy, which will enable citizens to access higher levels of healthcare beyond the primary stage.

“When you have a very strong national health insurance scheme, what it does is that after the free primary healthcare, the national health insurance will also help you to access healthcare above the primary level,” he noted.

The health minister said the policy places strong emphasis on preventive healthcare, including early screening, early detection, sensitisation and health promotion.

As part of this approach, he noted that community health nurses under the CHPS (Community-based Health Planning and Services) programme will intensify outreach efforts across the country.

“They will be moving to the farms, to the mosques, to the churches to sensitise the people on the do’s and don’ts,” he said.

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Mintah Akandoh acknowledged that many primary healthcare facilities currently face operational challenges, making retooling and upgrading a critical component of the policy.

“If we are sending free primary healthcare, we all know that our primary healthcare facilities are challenged. So there’s a need for retooling, and the government is doing that,” he stated.

He further disclosed that stakeholder consultations are ongoing.

“The policy framework is ready, and in order to take everybody along, we are doing a series of stakeholder consultations,” the minister said.

He also reminded the public that enrolment onto the NHIS is mandatory by law.

“To roll onto the National Health Insurance Scheme is by compulsion. Everybody is supposed to enrol onto the NHIS. That is the position of the law,” he stressed.

JKB/EB

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