President Mahama Clarifies: Tricycles Under Free Healthcare Meant for Outreach, Not Emergencies

John Dramani Mahama has clarified that tricycles being deployed under Ghana’s free primary healthcare programme are strictly for outreach services and not intended for emergency response, emphasizing that they should not be mistaken for ambulances.

Speaking at a sod-cutting ceremony on Saturday, April 18, President Mahama addressed growing public misconceptions surrounding the initiative. He explained that the tricycles are purpose-built to support community-level healthcare delivery, particularly in underserved and hard-to-reach areas.

“There are more than 6,000 CHPS compounds in Ghana, and among the equipment we presented were motorcycles and tricycles. Let me be clear, those tricycles are not ambulances,” he stated.

According to the President, the vehicles are designed to enhance mobility for health workers and community volunteers, enabling them to move efficiently between villages to conduct health screenings, deliver vaccinations, and provide essential primary healthcare services.

He further revealed that the tricycles are equipped with specially designed compartments to safely store vaccines, ensuring that cold-chain requirements are maintained during immunisation campaigns 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 explained.

President Mahama also noted that the distribution of motorcycles and tricycles is tailored to regional needs. Motorcycles will be deployed in areas—particularly in northern parts of the country—where health workers are trained to operate them, while tricycles will be used in parts of the south where motorcycles may not be 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 added.

Reiterating his position, the President urged the public to avoid misinterpretations, stressing that the vehicles are dedicated to 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 emphasized.

The clarification comes amid widespread discussions on social media regarding the purpose of the tricycles under the newly launched initiative. The free primary healthcare programme, introduced earlier this month, is set to roll out across 150 districts in its first phase, as part of efforts to strengthen preventive healthcare and expand access to universal health coverage nationwide.