The government is set to deploy 7,000 motorbikes and tricycles to support community-based healthcare delivery under the Free Primary Healthcare (FPHC) programme.
The Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, said the logistics would enable health workers to take essential healthcare services directly to homes and communities, reducing reliance on hospitals and other health facilities.
Speaking at a community durbar at the Fian Health Centre in the Daffiama Bussie Issa District of the Upper West Region, Mr Akandoh said more than 24,000 pieces of basic medical equipment had already been distributed to primary healthcare facilities across the country.
He said 5,000 healthcare bags containing essential medical equipment had been distributed, with another 5,000 bags expected to be delivered alongside the motorbikes and tricycles in the coming weeks.
The Minister said the logistics would support health professionals to provide services in homes, churches, mosques and communities, with emphasis on disease prevention and early detection.
Residents would be screened for conditions including high blood pressure and high blood sugar and referred for further treatment where necessary, he said.
Mr Akandoh said the approach was intended to shift primary healthcare delivery from a predominantly facility-based system to one that begins within communities.
Under the FPHC programme, he said, residents would receive free services at CHPS compounds, health centres and polyclinics, including treatment for common conditions such as malaria, diarrhoea and respiratory infections.
Meanwhile, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, said more than 5,749 households had been registered under the FPHC programme in the Upper West Region since its commencement on September 7, 2026.
He said health personnel had also conducted more than 590 home visits, taking essential primary healthcare services directly to individuals and families in their communities.
Dr Akoriyea disclosed this during the community engagement at Fian on Friday, September 11, as part of efforts to provide information and gather feedback on the implementation of the programme.
He said the figures demonstrated the programme’s focus on moving healthcare beyond health facilities and bringing essential services closer to households and communities.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
