The Ranking Member on Parliament’s Health Committee and Member of Parliament for Effiduase/Asokore, Nana Ayew Afriyie, has criticised the government’s decision to allocate GH₵1.2 billion annually to the proposed Free Primary Healthcare programme, describing the move as a misplaced priority.
Speaking on JoyNews, he responded to disclosures by the Minister for Health indicating that the initiative—aimed at expanding access to basic healthcare services—would require at least GH₵1.2 billion each year to implement.
Dr Ayew Afriyie argued that Ghana already possesses a foundation for primary healthcare delivery through existing systems such as the Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds and community health workers, who continue to provide education and preventive care at the grassroots level.
He further expressed concern about the state of district health infrastructure, noting that many facilities operate from outdated buildings, including colonial-era structures and repurposed CHPS compounds.
According to him, rather than committing substantial resources to a new initiative, the government should prioritise completing hospital projects under the Agenda 111 programme. He emphasised the need for modern, well-equipped district hospitals to strengthen healthcare delivery nationwide.
Dr Ayew Afriyie also questioned the allocation of resources, pointing out that significant investments have already been made into Agenda 111 projects, which remain incomplete. He suggested a phased approach to completing these facilities over the next decade rather than introducing additional large-scale expenditure.
While acknowledging the importance of strengthening primary healthcare, he maintained that government investment decisions must be balanced and strategic, with greater emphasis on completing existing infrastructure projects to ensure long-term efficiency and impact in the health sector.
