President John Dramani Mahama has clarified that tricycles being deployed under the free primary healthcare programme are meant for outreach services and not for emergency response, stressing that they are not ambulances.
Speaking at a sod-cutting ceremony on Saturday, April 18, the President addressed growing public misconceptions about the initiative, explaining that the tricycles are specifically designed to support community-level healthcare delivery.
“There are more than 6,000 CHPS compounds in Ghana, among the equipment we presented were motorcycles and tricycles. Let me be clear, those tricycles are not ambulances,” he stated.
According to President Mahama, the vehicles are intended to help health workers and volunteers move between communities to conduct screenings and provide essential healthcare services, especially in areas where mobility remains a challenge.
He further disclosed that the tricycles are fitted with compartments to safely store vaccines, ensuring that cold-chain requirements are maintained during immunisation exercises and outreach programmes.
“And so at the back of the tricycle they have a compartment where they can keep vaccines… to keep the vaccines cool,” he added.
The President also noted that the distribution of motorcycles and tricycles is based on regional needs. While motorcycles will be deployed in areas where health workers can operate them—particularly in northern Ghana—tricycles will be used in parts of the south where riding motorcycles may be less practical.
“So in the southern parts, where the health workers cannot ride motorcycles, they’ll be given tricycles to go from village to village to do their work,” he explained.
Reiterating his position, President Mahama urged the public to avoid misinterpretations, emphasising that the vehicles are strictly for preventive healthcare delivery, including screenings for conditions such as hypertension and diabetes.
“They are vehicles for the health workers… to go to the village, deliver vaccinations and also do health screening,” he said.
The clarification comes amid ongoing discussions on social media about the purpose of the tricycles under the newly launched free primary healthcare initiative.
The programme, launched earlier this month, is expected to roll out in 150 districts in its first phase, as part of efforts to strengthen preventive healthcare and expand access to universal health coverage in Ghana.
