Govt Invests GH¢500m in Medical Equipment

Ghana’s Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has announced that government is investing more than GH¢500 million in medical equipment to strengthen primary healthcare delivery across the country. The move comes as part of the rollout of the Free Primary Healthcare programme.

Speaking at the 2026 Annual Conference of the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) in Koforidua, Mr. Akandoh said over 24,000 pieces of medical equipment will be procured and distributed to frontline health facilities nationwide. He described the initiative as one of the largest investments in primary healthcare infrastructure in Ghana’s history.

“We are not merely announcing a policy. We are putting in place the resources required for implementation. For the first time in Ghana’s history, government is making one of the largest investments in equipment for primary healthcare facilities,” the Minister said.

The equipment will be supplied to health centres and CHPS compounds across the country, including facilities operated by CHAG, which has been designated as one of the implementing agencies under the Free Primary Healthcare programme. Mr. Akandoh assured that CHAG facilities will receive their fair share of the resources.

The Minister explained that the investment is part of a broader strategy to strengthen primary healthcare, which he described as the foundation for achieving Universal Health Coverage. According to him, nearly 80 percent of the population’s health needs can be addressed at the primary level through disease prevention, health promotion, early diagnosis, and treatment of common illnesses.

He stressed that the Free Primary Healthcare programme represents a shift from Ghana’s traditional focus on treating diseases to preventing them before they become severe. “The real game changer is not simply that services will be free. It is the emphasis on early detection and prevention,” he said.

Under the programme, health professionals will conduct community outreach by visiting homes, churches, and communities to screen residents for conditions such as hypertension and diabetes. This approach will allow illnesses to be detected early and referred for treatment where necessary.

The initiative will initially be implemented in 150 selected districts, many of them in remote and underserved communities, before being expanded nationwide. Mr. Akandoh emphasized that while healthcare services will be free for patients at the primary level, government will reimburse providers for the services they deliver. Preventive and health promotion activities will also be financed through population based payments to support outreach.

The Minister said the Free Primary Healthcare programme is designed to complement the National Health Insurance Scheme and the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (MahamaCares), with each programme covering different aspects of healthcare. He noted that strengthening primary healthcare infrastructure through the provision of modern medical equipment will improve the quality of care, reduce unnecessary referrals to higher level hospitals, and bring essential services closer to communities.