Mahama reiterates gov’t commitment to expanding access to quality healthcare

As part of his two-day Resetting Ghana Tour of the Volta Region, President John Dramani Mahama addressed the Free Primary Healthcare Programme Durbar at the Ho Municipal Hospital, reaffirming Government’s commitment to expanding access to quality healthcare.

The President commended the management and staff of the Ho Municipal Hospital for 100 years of dedicated service and praised health professionals across the country for their critical role in caring for Ghanaians.

President Mahama announced that Government has granted clearance for the recruitment of 16,000 nurses in two phases to strengthen healthcare delivery, particularly in underserved communities.

He highlighted the Free Primary Healthcare Programme as a key step towards achieving Universal Health Coverage, ensuring that Ghanaians can access primary healthcare services at CHPS compounds, health centres and polyclinics without financial barriers.

The President also encouraged regular health screening and healthy lifestyles, stressing the importance of early detection in preventing serious illnesses.

He further outlined Government’s ongoing investments in healthcare infrastructure, including new cardiac centres, upgrades to Ho Teaching Hospital, and the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (Mahama Cares), which supports patients living with serious non-communicable diseases.

The President noted that the project, which commenced in 2014, had experienced significant delays over the years, resulting in increased costs and an extended completion period.

He stressed the importance of delivering critical infrastructure projects on schedule to maximise value for the country.

President Mahama reaffirmed Government’s vision of positioning UHAS as a leading centre of excellence in health sciences education, research and innovation.

He observed that strong research institutions require modern facilities and expressed satisfaction with the progress made on the laboratory complex.

He highlighted the facility’s specialised pathogen research and vaccine development capabilities, noting that it will support the work of the National Vaccine Institute and enhance Ghana’s capacity for advanced medical research, disease surveillance and health security.

The President also acknowledged the university’s infrastructure needs, including additional hostels, lecture halls, a modern library and improved internal roads.

He assured the university community that Government remains committed to addressing these priorities through increased investment in educational infrastructure.

Paying tribute to the late President John Evans Atta Mills, whose vision led to the establishment of UHAS, President Mahama expressed confidence that the institution is steadily advancing towards becoming one of Africa’s premier health sciences universities.