NDC administration to implement Free Primary HealthCare - Mahama

The next government of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will implement a Free Primary HealthCare for all Ghanaians, Mr John Dramani Mahama, NDC Presidential Candidate has said.

This, he explained would complement the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), and that one would only require a Ghana Card to be able to access the Free Primary Healthcare without a charge.

Mr Mahama, who was speaking at a durbar of the chiefs and people of Navrongo in the Upper East Region, said the Free Primary HealthCare programme was a new programme coming to supplement the NHIS programme.

"Because only 40 per cent of our people have access to the NHIS programme, the Free Primary Healthcare will cover the remaining 60 per cent.

“If you are part of the 60 per cent, the system we are bringing will cover you. From the district hospital downward, if you are sick and you go with your Ghana Card, you will be treated free of charge. You don't have to pay."

He said the NDC while in Government executed phase one of the Upper East Regional Hospital and that when the Party comes back to power, it would complete phase two of the project.

With regards to Free Senior School (SHS), the Presidential Candidate said: "Free SHS is not going anywhere. Free SHS has come to stay. And so if anybody tells you anything different, tell the person he is lying."

"I started Free SHS in 2015. I launched it, the video is there, it is on social media and I am sure many of you have seen it. We started with day students and then in 2016, we added boarding students.

“And then this Government came to continue it. How will a person who started a programme then come and abolish it".

He said the next NDC administration was going to make Free SHS better, adding that within one year the double-track system would be abolished.

"We are going to maintain and improve the free SHS," Mr Mahama said.

Mr Mahama, who said they built 200 Community Day SHSs (E-block projects) when they were in Government of which some had been completed and were being utilized, noted that they would complete all the abandoned E-block projects, so that more students would b e absorb into the Free SHS programme. He said the next NDC administration would improve the quality of food for Free SHS students.

He said to ensure quality food for the students, the acquisition of food would be done by heads of the various schools.