Health Minister deepens stakeholder engagement ahead of Free Primary Health Care Policy launch

The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, says government is intensifying stakeholder engagement as part of preparations toward the rollout of the Free Primary Health Care Policy, expected to be launched in the first week of April.

Speaking during an interaction with the media, the Minister explained that the policy framework covering three key priority areas has already been developed, and the focus now is to ensure broad national buy-in.

According to him, the Ministry has engaged a wide range of stakeholders, including the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), the manufacturing sector, the private sector, child-focused institutions, the Christian Health Association of Ghana, traditional groups and other donor agencies.

He also underscored the importance of the media in the process, describing journalists as “the voice of the voiceless” whose participation would encourage wider public interest and understanding of the policy.

Mr. Akandoh noted that stakeholder engagement will not end with the current consultations.

He revealed plans to extend discussions to the National House of Chiefs to brief traditional rulers on the policy and ensure their involvement.

Additionally, he announced the proposal of a special one-day public forum to allow individuals and groups to present questions, concerns, and suggestions before the policy is officially rolled out.

“This platform is not for debate or banter,” the Minister stated. “We are here to listen. Questions may be asked, and while answers may not be given immediately, all concerns will be documented and addressed.”

He explained that after the stakeholder engagement process, the policy will be submitted to Cabinet for approval.

Where necessary, the Ministry will proceed to Parliament for the passage of new legislation or amendments to existing health sector laws to support the policy’s implementation.

The Health Minister emphasized that no policy is perfect at the outset, cautioning against delays caused by the pursuit of perfection before implementation.

“If we wait for perfection before implementation, we will never implement any policy,” he said, adding that the Free Primary Health Care Policy presents a critical opportunity to transform healthcare delivery and address longstanding challenges within the health sector.

Mr. Akandoh expressed confidence that the policy would significantly improve access to quality healthcare across the country once implementation begins.

Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith and Hawa Abubakar