
The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, launched the Free Primary Healthcare FPHC initiative in the Volta Region, reaffirming the government's commitment to accessible, quality healthcare. During his visit on June 12, 2026, the minister engaged with traditional authorities, including the Asogli State, who welcomed the program as a transformative intervention for underserved communities. Akandoh clarified that FPHC complements the National Health Insurance Scheme NHIS and is part of a broader health sector reset agenda, shifting focus from illness treatment to prevention, early detection, and community-based care. All Ghanaians with a valid national identification card are eligible for primary healthcare services, though referrals to higher care levels require active NHIS membership. The Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, and Dr. Caroline Reindorf Amissah, Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, commended the initiative, emphasizing the need for stakeholder collaboration. Dr. Amissah noted that training activities are ongoing, and the Ministry of Health has provided additional logistics, including tricycles, motorbikes, and home-visit kits. Health workers will conduct home and community visits to monitor health indicators and provide preventive services. Akandoh also conducted mini-launches and inspected health facilities, handing over essential logistics to support the program's implementation. The initiative aims to expand access to quality healthcare
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by GhanaWeb.
Must ReadBernard Antwi-Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party NPP, has requested a plea bargain in his ongoing criminal trial related to the Exim Bank fraud case. The court has granted this request, giving the state and Wontumi until July 18, 2026, to reach an agreement. Wontumi, along with Thomas Antwi-Boasiako and Wontumi Farms Limited, faces four charges: defrauding by false pretence, uttering a forged document, money laundering, and intentionally causing financial loss to a public institution. The charges stem from allegations that in 2018, they obtained GH₵14.3 million from Exim Bank for a large-scale farming project, but no farming activities were undertaken, no machinery was purchased, and a document presented as proof of purchase was allegedly forged. If the plea bargain fails and Wontumi is found guilty, he could face a maximum of 10 years imprisonment if sentences run concurrently, or up to 40 years if they run consecutively, as each charge carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years.

The Environmental Protection Agency EPA in Tarkwa has called on traditional leaders to utilize their cultural and spiritual authority to combat illegal mining, known as galamsey, in Ghana. Mr. Derick Ashia Logo, the Regional Director of the EPA in Tarkwa, stated that illegal miners are increasingly fortified and pose security risks to enforcement officers. He suggested that chiefs, as custodians of the land, could invoke cultural beliefs, taboos, and customary sanctions to deter illegal mining activities, thereby complementing government efforts. Mr. Logo also advocated for government financial support for community-based environmental protection initiatives and stricter accountability for traditional leaders who fail to protect natural resources under their jurisdiction. The EPA emphasizes that illegal mining remains a significant environmental challenge, causing destruction to rivers, forests, and farmlands, and creating security concerns for anti-galamsey operations.
Must ReadKwabena Amaning, known as Tagor, and Alhaji Issah Abass, who were sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2007 for drug-related offenses, have been acquitted and discharged by the Court of Appeal. The two businessmen were at the center of a controversial case involving the disappearance of 76 parcels of cocaine from the MV Benjamin vessel. The Court of Appeal's three-member panel, chaired by Mr Justice Peasare, ordered their immediate release after they had spent a year and seven months in prison. The court found that the charges against them were defective and the prosecution failed to establish the offenses. It noted that the prosecution could not specify the location or date of the alleged crimes, creating gaps in the evidence. The Court of Appeal also criticized the trial judge for overruling a submission of no case and questioned why the prosecution did not call Assistant Commissioner of Police Kofi Boakye as a witness. Furthermore, the court stated that the whereabouts of the 76 parcels of cocaine remained a mystery, and a recorded conversation between Tagor, Abass, and Kofi Boakye was a private attempt by Boakye to clear his name, not a confession. The court dismissed the prosecution's claims regarding conspiracy and the alleged sale of cocaine, stating that such transactions were not proven and that local jargon for drugs could not be legally supported.