Health Minister, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has charged District Directors of Health Services (DDHS) across the country to take full ownership of the Free Primary Healthcare (FPHC) policy, stressing that effective implementation of the programme depends largely on what happens at the district and community levels rather than on policy documents alone.
Speaking at the 33rd Annual Conference of the District Directors of Health Services Group Ghana, held under the theme “From Policy to Practice.
The DDHS Driving Free Primary Health Care in Ghana,” Akandoh reminded participants that no amount of policy documentation, government projects or press conferences could substitute for the actual work of delivering healthcare to people within their communities.
Addressing the gathered directors, the Minister was direct in stating that the success of Free Primary Healthcare ultimately rests on the actions of health professionals working directly within communities, rather than on the strength of policy frameworks alone.
“Policy documents, projects and press conferences cannot deliver healthcare to people without the health professionals working directly in communities,”
Directors Described As “Soldiers on The Ground”
Akandoh urged the District Directors to develop a thorough understanding of the FPHC policy and to communicate it effectively within their respective districts, describing them as the “soldiers on the ground” responsible for translating government’s health policies into practical, tangible services for ordinary Ghanaians.
“You are the soldiers on the ground, responsible for translating government’s policies into practical healthcare services that reach our people.”
Hon. Akandoh
FPHC Designed to Complement NHIS
The Minister took the opportunity to reiterate the relationship between Free Primary Healthcare and the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), explaining that FPHC has been designed to complement, rather than compete with, the existing insurance scheme.
He noted that the programme is specifically structured to strengthen preventive, promotive and curative healthcare services delivered at CHPS compounds, health centres and polyclinics across the country.
By reinforcing this distinction at a gathering of district-level health leaders, the Minister appeared keen to ensure that officials responsible for day-to-day implementation of the policy fully understand its scope and its place within the broader health financing architecture, given ongoing public confusion around how FPHC relates to the NHIS.
Conference Theme Reflects Focus on Practical Implementation
The conference’s overarching theme, “From Policy to Practice,” reflected its central objective of highlighting the critical role District Directors of Health Services play in converting government health policies into practical, accessible services at the community level.
Organisers designed the gathering specifically to strengthen district-level leadership and reinforce a sense of ownership among directors, positioning them as key drivers of the FPHC rollout within their respective areas.
According to the conference’s framing, this emphasis on district-level ownership is intended to ensure that Free Primary Healthcare ultimately delivers accessible, quality and equitable healthcare services to people across every part of Ghana, rather than remaining a policy that exists primarily on paper or in national-level announcements.
Call For Local Leadership and Accountability
Taken together, Akandoh’s remarks placed significant emphasis on the accountability of district-level health leadership in determining the real-world success of the FPHC policy.
By directly addressing the country’s District Directors of Health Services, the Minister sought to reinforce the message that national policy pronouncements alone cannot guarantee improved health outcomes, insisting instead that meaningful change depends on how effectively these policies are understood, communicated and implemented at the district and community levels where patients actually access care.
With the FPHC programme continuing its phased rollout across the country’s regions, the emphasis placed on district-level ownership during the conference suggests that government views strong local leadership as essential to sustaining the initiative’s momentum.
Attention will likely turn to how District Directors translate this renewed call to action into concrete improvements in service delivery within their respective districts as the programme continues to expand nationwide.
READ MORE: Free Primary Healthcare Has Not Come to Replace NHIS – Akandoh
