Video – Mahama’s Free Primary Healthcare Programme ‘catches’ hypertensive patient just hours after launch

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Beatrice Elikplim, a 53-year-old woman

A video has been shared on social media showing how the Free Primary Health Care Programme, launched by President John Dramani Mahama, detected a hypertensive patient just hours after launch.

According to reports, Beatrice Elikplim, a 53-year-old woman, walked into the facility to check her vitals and was found to have a hypertensive crisis.

In a post shared on X by TV3, read, “Just hours after President John Dramani Mahama launched the Free Primary Healthcare Programme at the Shai-Osudoku District Hospital, the new system proved its life-saving potential.

Beatrice Elikplim, a 53-year-old woman, walked into the facility to check her vitals and was found to have a hypertensive crisis with a blood pressure reading of 200/100 mmHg, a medical emergency that could have caused immediate organ damage or death”.

Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama has unveiled the Free Primary Health Care Programme, a major policy intervention aimed at improving access to essential and affordable healthcare for all.

The Presidency in a post on X stated, “He explained that the initiative aligns with global efforts toward universal health coverage, where every citizen can access essential care without financial burden. The programme places strong emphasis on prevention, early detection, and timely treatment of illnesses.

President Mahama further indicated that every Ghanaian is expected to undergo at least one health screening annually as part of efforts to strengthen preventive healthcare and improve national health outcomes.

The Free Primary Health Care Programme was launched at the Shai Osudoku District Hospital. The initiative signals a renewed focus on preventive care, with emphasis on early diagnosis, routine screening, and expanded community health services.

The policy introduces a nationwide preventive health approach, encouraging regular check-ups for all citizens while removing financial and administrative barriers to accessing basic care at the primary level.

Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh (MP), noted that care within the package will be delivered free at the point of use, describing the policy as a transition toward proactive healthcare supported by digital innovation and nationwide outreach.

The intervention is expected to ease financial burdens on citizens while broadening access to primary healthcare, reinforcing Ghana’s progress toward universal health coverage”.

In related news, John Dramani Mahama, at the launched cautioned Ghanaians against eating heavy meals late at night, using humour to encourage healthier lifestyles.

“Stop eating banku at night,” he said jokingly, drawing laughter from the audience, before advising that dinner should ideally be taken earlier in the evening.

“If you are the kind of person who likes eating heavy foods, you are not physically active, you are sitting at one place, and yet when they give you your fufu or banku, you say it’s too small. You want a big bowl of fufu, and you want to eat it every day.

Sometimes you eat it at night before you go to sleep. Please, by 7 PM, eat your dinner and don’t eat again. If you are hungry, just pick a cup of tea or something. Don’t eat any heavy food. You come from work in the evening, your wife is tired, but you force her to come and get you banku at 10 PM, why?” he quizzed.

He further added, “Our fathers used to eat banku and co in the night, but they were physically active; they used to go to the farm, and they expended energy. Now we don’t do any physical activity. You wake up in the morning, eat breakfast, drive to work, sit behind the desk from 8 am to 5 pm, drive back home, and when you come home, you ask for your banku. What physical activity did you do to deserve banku?” he jokingly questioned.

Watch the video below: