President John Dramani Mahama has clarified that tricycles deployed under Ghana’s free primary healthcare programme are intended to support community outreach services, not to function as ambulances.
Speaking at a sod-cutting ceremony on April 18, the President addressed growing public debate over the initiative, stressing that the vehicles are designed to improve access to healthcare at the grassroots level.
“There are more than 6,000 CHPS compounds in Ghana… let me be clear, those tricycles are not ambulances,” he stated.
According to the President, the tricycles are part of a broader logistics package aimed at strengthening preventive healthcare delivery. They will enable health workers and volunteers to move between communities, particularly in hard-to-reach areas.
He explained that the vehicles are equipped with special compartments to safely store vaccines, ensuring that cold-chain requirements are maintained during outreach activities.
“And so at the back of the tricycle they have a compartment where they can keep vaccines… to keep the vaccines cool,” he added.
Tailored Deployment Across Regions
President Mahama noted that the distribution of motorcycles and tricycles is based on regional needs and the capabilities of health personnel. In areas where health workers can ride motorcycles, particularly in northern Ghana, motorcycles will be deployed.
However, in parts of southern Ghana where riding motorcycles may be less practical, tricycles will be used instead.
“So in the southern parts, where the health workers cannot ride motorcycles, they’ll be given tricycles to go from village to village,” he explained.
Reiterating the purpose of the initiative, the President urged the public to avoid misinterpretations, emphasising that the vehicles are strictly for preventive healthcare services.
“They are vehicles for the health workers… to go to the village, deliver vaccinations and also do health screening,” he said, highlighting services such as hypertension and diabetes screenings.
The clarification follows widespread discussions on social media regarding the role of the tricycles in the newly launched programme. The free primary healthcare initiative, introduced earlier this month, is set to roll out in 150 districts during its first phase.
The programme forms part of broader efforts to expand access to universal health coverage by prioritising early detection, community engagement, and preventive care delivery across the country.
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