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President John Dramani Mahama has announced that the government will roll out a nationwide free primary healthcare programme this year, aimed at early detection and prevention of non-communicable diseases through community-based health screenings.
Under the programme, he said trained community coordinators would go from house to house to conduct basic medical checks, including blood pressure and blood sugar tests, to help identify people at risk and refer them for timely treatment.
“The initiative will be supported by the availability of affordable generic medicines at community pharmacies so that people can begin early treatment to prevent complications,” the President said.
President Mahama made the announcement in Accra yesterday at the 23rd anniversary thanksgiving service of the First Sky Group.
The event which was on the theme, ‘’Proclaim the Mighty Deeds of the Lord,” brought together senior clergymen, including the Founder of Action Chapel International, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams; Founder and Apostle General of Royalhouse Chapel International, Rev. Sam Korankye Ankrah; the General Superintendent of Assemblies of God, Ghana, Reverend Stephen Wingham, as well as senior pastors of Assemblies of God.
President Mahama expressed concern about the growing incidence of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, kidney failure, stroke and cancers.
He attributed the trend partly to changing lifestyles, reduced physical activity and unhealthy dietary habits, stressing that many Ghanaians only sought medical attention when their conditions had worsened.
“One of the major causes of kidney failure is hypertension, and many people have never even checked their blood pressure. Continuous high blood pressure eventually destroys the kidneys, which is why early detection is critical,” he said.
President Mahama mentioned that treatment for such conditions was often expensive and could impoverish even well-to-do families, making government and private sector support critical.
He revealed that the 2025 Budget had allocated GH¢2.1 billion to the Mahama Care programme, which would focus on supporting patients suffering from non-communicable diseases, including stroke, kidney disease and various forms of cancer.
The President, therefore, commended the First Sky Group for its philanthropic interventions, particularly its support for kidney dialysis and transplants, and urged other organisations to emulate the company’s example.
Touching on the economy, President Mahama attributed the country’s recent economic recovery to divine grace, citing a sharp decline in inflation, significant appreciation of the cedi and improved fiscal performance beyond IMF projections.
President Mahama further highlighted the government’s commitment to strengthening indigenous businesses, recalling measures taken during his first term to expand the capacity of Ghanaian construction firms and reduce overreliance on foreign contractors.
He identified First Sky Group as one of the local companies that benefited from those reforms, praising its capacity, competence and diversification into sectors such as construction, commodities and hospitality.
The President urged workers of the First Sky Group to treat the company as their own, noting that its growth would directly translate into improved incomes and working conditions.
“This is the company that puts food on the table for you and your family, if it grows, you will grow with it.
Your income will grow with it and so you must take the job as your family and give it your all like you're working for yourself. if you take care of the job, it will take care of you,” he said.
The Executive Chairman of the First Sky Group, Eric Seddy Kutortse, highlighted the group’s focus on creating jobs, building capacity and nurturing the moral and spiritual values among its workforce.
Over the years, he said, the company had grown into a diversified conglomerate spanning construction, insurance, hospitality, energy, commodities and banking, employing over 6,000 people nationwide.
Mr Kutortse also highlighted the company’s commitment to social and community projects, including the construction of churches, mission houses and health initiatives such as free dialysis and kidney transplants.
He announced that First Sky Energies would soon complete a 50-megawatt solar photovoltaic power station at Yendi, a fully Ghanaian-owned utility-scale project aimed at supporting the national grid and creating jobs in the Northern Region.
“We have grown this far because Ghana chose to believe in Ghanaian capacity.
The nation progresses best when public leadership and private enterprise walk together in synergy,” Mr Kutortse said, stressing that integrity and ethical business practices remained core to the company’s operations.
He expressed appreciation to the staff of First Sky Group, describing the anniversary as a shared legacy and urging them to continue building a company that was ethical, excellent and globally competitive.
