The latest Ghana Human Development Report has revealed that half of the doctors trained in Ghana are leaving to work abroad due to poor working conditions.
The report, called “The Future Value of Work in Ghana,” warned that if this continues, the country’s healthcare system could fall apart.
The United Nations Development Program, the Statistical Service and the National Development Planning Commission compiled the report.
It also revealed that 24 per cent of nurses trained in Ghana are leaving for the same reasons. Ghana continues to grapple with significant challenges, including shortages of essential supplies like personal protective equipment and a dwindling pool of qualified personnel.
This alarming exodus has jeopardised the health sector, necessitating immediate policy and practical interventions to prevent collapse.
The report highlighted the need for intelligent planning to meet the changing health needs of the people, which are becoming more complicated because of environmental issues, population changes, and lifestyle choices.
Ghana’s health policy has highlighted eleven key areas that need improvement, with health promotion, palliative care, and rehabilitative care lagging behind preventive and curative services.
The report called for focusing on primary healthcare and environmental issues to boost human capital development.
It also suggested a “life course approach” to healthcare, which means providing care for all ages and groups, including the old, people with disabilities, and those in urban slums. This approach aims to make sure everyone can access and benefit from both curative and preventive healthcare services.
Meanwhile, in Nigeria, Dr Fatima Kyari, the Registrar of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), revealed that in 2023, only 58,000 out of 130 000 registered medical doctors renewed their annual practising licenses, which is a stark reflection of the brain drain plaguing the nation’s health sector.
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