Free Primary Healthcare Expands With New CHPS Compound at Ahyiaem

The Free Primary Healthcare initiative is set to reach more residents in the Tano North District, following the construction of a new CHPS compound at Ahyiaem and its pending registration by the Ministry of Health.

President John Dramani Mahama inspected the facility on Friday during his two-day “Resetting Ghana” tour of the Ahafo Region. The facility was constructed by the Tano North District Assembly.

The President announced that the Ministry of Health will register the facility, after which the necessary equipment will be provided to support its operations.

He noted that healthcare services at CHPS compounds are free under the Free Primary Healthcare initiative, and that registration with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is not required to access them.

The initiative was introduced to close the country’s health coverage gap. When the government assumed office, only about 60 percent of Ghanaians were enrolled on the NHIS, leaving a significant portion of the population without access to basic healthcare.

To reach those outside the NHIS net, government introduced the Free Primary Healthcare initiative, which is available at CHPS compounds across the country.

President Mahama said government will also provide tricycles under the initiative. Healthcare workers will use the tricycles to conduct weekly household visits, checking on the health and wellbeing of residents and delivering basic healthcare services within their communities.

The Ahyiaem CHPS compound is one of several being constructed under the government’s directive that 80 percent of the District Assemblies Common Fund go directly to district assemblies.

Under this arrangement, each district assembly is expected to construct two CHPS compounds, two classroom blocks, and a 24-hour economy market, distributed across communities within their districts.

The Tano North District Assembly invited the President to inspect the facility as part of his regional tour, which also includes stops at a poultry, meat, and feed processing facility in Bechem, the Tepa–Goaso Road project under the Big Push Programme, and the Ntontroso Bridge connecting Acherensua.

President Mahama will conclude the tour on Saturday with an interactive town hall meeting, the “#ResettingGhana Citizens Engagement with President Mahama,” at the Victory Centre Assemblies of God Church in Goaso.

Richard Aniagyei, ISD