The nine Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs) in the Oti Region are set to benefit from the government’s Free Primary Healthcare (FPHC) Policy, aimed at expanding access to quality basic healthcare services at no cost in designated facilities.
Launching the policy at Dambai, the Oti Regional Capital, the Minister of Health, Mintah Akandoh, announced that although the programme targets 150 MMDAs nationwide, all assemblies in the Oti Region have been included.
He explained that the decision is timely, particularly in response to previously reported typhoid cases in the region, and forms part of efforts to address persistent public health challenges.
The Minister noted that the initiative will complement existing healthcare interventions, especially the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), and support the country’s broader goal of equitable access to primary healthcare.
Under the policy, access to services will require proof of Ghanaian citizenship or legal residency, including the Ghana Card.
More complicated cases will be referred to higher-level facilities and covered under the NHIS.
He also raised concerns about the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, stroke malaria and other diseases, attributing the trend in part to unhealthy diets, physical inactivity and late-night eating habits.
Touching on public concerns, Mintah Akandoh dismissed claims that the tricycles and motorbikes being provided are intended to serve as ambulances.
He said the logistics are meant to support health workers to reach hard-to-access communities and deliver services to vulnerable populations.
The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, called on chiefs, community leaders, assembly members and the public to support and take ownership of the policy to help curb typhoid and other health conditions.
Recalling a recent visit to the region, he described the spread of typhoid and water-related infections as a major concern and expressed confidence that the FPHC policy will strengthen healthcare delivery across the Oti Region.
