President John Dramani Mahama has urged Ghanaians to take advantage of Free Primary Healthcare home visits, saying the initiative will help detect illnesses before they become serious and costly to treat.
The President said the home visit component is the most important part of the programme because it takes basic healthcare services directly to households, including people who rarely visit health facilities.
Speaking at a Free Primary Healthcare durbar at the Zuarungu Health Centre in the Upper East Region, Mr Mahama said community health nurses and volunteers had started visiting homes to conduct basic screening and refer residents to health facilities when necessary.
He said conditions such as hypertension and diabetes could remain undetected because people may appear healthy while carrying underlying illnesses.
Pregnant women, newborns to be screened
The President urged residents to open their doors to health workers and ensure that every member of their household is screened.
Pregnant women identified during the visits, he said, would be encouraged to attend antenatal care, while newborns would be monitored to ensure they are growing properly and receiving their vaccinations.
Mr Mahama described the programme as the foundation of Ghana’s healthcare system, covering health kiosks, CHPS compounds, health centres and polyclinics.
“Health is wealth,” he said, stressing that a healthy population was essential to building a productive economy.
Government targets local medicine production
The President also disclosed that government was working to improve the availability of medicines under the programme.
Ghana currently imports about 70 percent of its medicines, a situation the government wants to change through a five year plan aimed at expanding domestic pharmaceutical production.
The plan, according to Mr Mahama, is expected to increase local production for both domestic consumption and export.
He also said the National Health Insurance Fund had been uncapped to support timely payments to healthcare providers. Tariffs under the scheme have also been reviewed to reflect actual treatment costs.
Mr Mahama insisted that patients receiving care at facilities operating under the NHIS should not be subjected to co payments.
Specialist healthcare expansion
The President further highlighted investments in specialist healthcare, including support for patients suffering from cancer, kidney disease and cardiovascular conditions through the Ghana Medical Trust Fund.
Major hospitals are also being equipped with diagnostic and treatment equipment, including CT scanners and MRI machines.
He cited the development of cardiothoracic services in Tamale as part of efforts to provide specialist care for patients across northern Ghana.
The broader objective, Mr Mahama said, is to ensure that a person’s location does not determine their chances of receiving quality healthcare.
He also appealed to nurses and other health workers to treat patients with compassion, saying a reassuring attitude could contribute to recovery.
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