The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has assured Ghanaians that they will not be required to pay for access to primary healthcare services under government’s new healthcare intervention programme.

“You do not need to pay to access primary healthcare; government will pay for you,” the Minister stated during the opening of a container-based medical kiosk at Social Welfare in Madina.

The facility was subsequently handed over to the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea.

According to the Minister, the intervention forms part of the government’s broader strategy to transform Ghana’s healthcare delivery system from a largely “sick care” model to a more preventive and comprehensive healthcare approach.

He explained that the container-based medical kiosk is equipped with a consulting room, pharmacy, washroom facilities, solar power system, borehole, and telemedicine technology to improve healthcare accessibility in densely populated and mobile communities, including markets and transport terminals.

Hon. Akandoh disclosed that the initiative is being implemented under the government’s Free Primary Healthcare programme, with 150 districts captured in the first phase out of Ghana’s 261 districts.

He noted that the programme will provide services at CHPS compounds, health centres, and polyclinics, covering treatment for common illnesses such as malaria and respiratory infections, as well as preventive healthcare services including blood pressure monitoring, diabetes screening, and public health education.

The Health Minister, however, clarified that the programme does not replace the National Health Insurance Authority and urged citizens to remain active subscribers to the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to enable them access higher levels of healthcare beyond primary facilities.

He further called on local authorities, healthcare professionals, and community members to support and protect the initiative, stressing that its long-term success would depend on collective responsibility and prudent management of public resources