The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has intensified public education on the government’s newly launched Free Primary Healthcare Policy through a community sensitization float in Bole, aimed at increasing awareness and encouraging residents to take advantage of the initiative.
Speaking during the exercise on May 29, 2026, Regional NHIA Representative and former Bole District NHIA Manager, Iddrisu Adam, said the float formed part of a series of awareness campaigns being undertaken nationwide to educate the public on the benefits of the policy and other healthcare interventions.
According to him, the NHIA recently held a stakeholder engagement in the district, but realized that many residents could not participate. As a result, the authority decided to take the campaign directly to the communities to ensure that women, children and other residents understood the policy and how to access its benefits.Mr. Adam explained that the Free Primary Healthcare Policy, launched by President John Dramani Mahama is intended to strengthen preventive healthcare services and reduce the growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and heart-related conditions.
He noted that although primary healthcare services have existed for years, they were not widely patronized. The government has therefore rebranded and strengthened the initiative under the Free Primary Healthcare Policy to make preventive healthcare more accessible and attractive to the public.”The focus now is prevention rather than waiting for people to become seriously ill before seeking treatment,” he said.Under the policy, residents can access free health screening services, including blood pressure checks, blood sugar testing and body mass index assessments at Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds, health centres and designated faith-based health facilities
.Mr. Adam revealed that the government and the NHIA have allocated funds in advance to healthcare providers to ensure that these preventive services are offered free of charge to the public.In Bole, he said, residents can access the services at facilities such as the Bole Health Centre and other accredited health facilities operating at the CHPS level.
To facilitate access and proper record keeping, he urged residents to enroll on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) or renew their expired memberships. He announced that new registrations and renewals are currently being offered free of charge until the end of the month.He further assured residents that expired cards would be reactivated immediately without the usual waiting period.Explaining the government’s broader healthcare strategy, Mr. Adam said preventive services under the Free Primary Healthcare Policy represent the first stage of healthcare delivery.
Individuals diagnosed with illnesses after screening can then access treatment through the NHIS, while more complex conditions not covered by the scheme can benefit from the government’s “Mahama Care” programme.He also advised NHIS members to update their registered phone numbers to facilitate the implementation of a forthcoming one-time attendance code system that will be required for accessing healthcare services.
Mr. Adam described the policy as “a rebirth of primary healthcare” and encouraged all residents to participate by obtaining valid NHIS cards and regularly undergoing health screenings.”The policy is for everyone. We want the public to take ownership of it and benefit from the preventive healthcare services available to them,” he stated.The float attracted attention across the District as NHIA officials moved through the principal streets of Bole, educating residents and encouraging them to take advantage of the government’s healthcare interventions.
Source: nkilgifm.com
