The government has outlined plans to strengthen health facilities across the country as part of the rollout of the free primary healthcare policy, with a focus on CHPS compounds, health centers, and polyclinics.
Speaking on the implementation, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh explained that the initiative is structured to cover the foundational levels of care within Ghana’s health system.
“We are taking on board the CHPS compound. That’s the basic unit of our health system. We are taking on board the health centers. We are taking on board what we call the polyclinics,” he said.
The minister noted that the policy will be implemented gradually to allow for adjustments along the way. “This is a new policy, so we need to take our time and study and roll out and look at the difficulties and the deficiencies and then recorrect.”
He outlined three core components of the system: “Now, it has three legs. Curative, preventive, and promotive, or promotion.” He emphasized that the policy is not limited to treatment but also includes preventing illness and promoting healthy living.
Under the curative component, the focus will be on treating common conditions at the primary level. “Now, the curative, as part of the package of the free primary health care, we are looking at sicknesses like malaria, respiratory diseases, diarrhea, those basic procedures.”
This approach is expected to ensure that routine cases are handled within nearby health facilities, reducing unnecessary pressure on major hospitals. The minister emphasized that many patients currently seek care at higher-level hospitals for conditions that can be treated at the primary level. “One of the reasons we are doing this is to also divert the traffic at the referral centers. Somebody has malaria, and you go to Korle Bu. That’s not where you are supposed to go.”
This trend, he noted, leads to congestion and inefficiency. Despite the expanded scope of services, the minister acknowledged significant challenges facing health facilities, particularly in terms of equipment. He said the government will equip the health facilities to be able to deliver what they are asking them to deliver. He said Ghana has one of the worst equipment statuses in the whole world.
“A survey was conducted in 2022, and it was about 60% of the health facilities. We realized that only 5% of our health facilities have the full complement of equipment they need to do their work, and when it comes to the public facilities, it’s 2%.”
This data indicates that many health facilities lack the tools required to provide even basic services effectively.
Government invests in equipment distribution for health facilities
To address these gaps, the government has begun supplying equipment to primary healthcare centers nationwide. The equipment includes essential diagnostic and monitoring tools. “So we need to provide the glucometers, the BP apparatus, the monitors, and others.”
He confirmed that significant investment has already been made. “As I speak to you now, we bought not less than 500 million worth of equipment, about 24,000 pieces of equipment to be distributed to the primary health care levels. Chps compounds, health centers, and polyclinics across the country.”
Distribution will also extend beyond primary care to some higher-level institutions. The upgrade of health facilities is expected to support the effective delivery of free primary healthcare services and improve access to quality care at the community level.
