24% Of Ghana-Trained Nurses Working Abroad, Figure At 50% For Doctors: “Poor Working Conditions”

24% Of Ghana-Trained Nurses Working Abroad, Figure At 50% For Doctors: “Poor Working Conditions”

  • The latest Ghana Human Development Report has noted that 24 percent of nurses trained in Ghana are currently working abroad
  • The report warned that Ghana’s health system could worsen if nothing is immediately done to halt the exodus of nurses
  • The report is by the United Nations Development Programme, the Statistical Service and the National Development Planning Commission

The latest Ghana Human Development Report has noted that 24 percent of nurses trained in Ghana work abroad.

The report released on June 26, 2024, attributed the trend to poor working conditions.

24% Of Ghana-Trained Nurses Working Abroad Per Alarming Report
Nurses are leaving because of poor working conditions
Source: Getty Images

It warned that Ghana’s health system could worsen if immediate steps are not taken to stem the exodus of doctors and nurses trained in Ghana.

For doctors, the report noted that 50 percent of those trained in Ghana have also left.

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The study indicated that the health sector is in a precarious state due to this layer of brain drain.

The report, authored by the United Nations Development Programme in partnership with the Statistical Service and the National Development Planning Commission, can be viewed here.

It noted that the challenges require policy and pragmatic measures to avert a total shutdown of the sector.

"....this has the potential to further worsen the precarious health system, a situation which would require some policy and pragmatic interventions."

The report also discussed Ghana's health policy and identified 11 areas requiring strengthening. Among them are health promotion, palliative, and rehabilitative care, which have lagged behind preventive and curative care.

It also proposed adopting a life course approach to health delivery, which would allow for the treatment of various population categories, such as the elderly and persons with disabilities.

Ghana has been warned in the past about the large number of annual flights of Ghanaian nurses to the UK and the US.

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The International Council of Nurses told the BBC that Ghana's health system could pay a great price in the coming years if the situation persists.

According to the ICN, Ghanaian patients are most at risk from the situation triggered by poor working conditions for health workers in Ghana.

Schengen visa application fees increase by 12%

YEN.com.gh reported that the European Commission has announced that Schengen visa application fees for short stays have increased by 12 percent.

The commission attributed the increase to inflation and the weighted average of the salaries of Member States’ civil servants.

A Schengen visa allows non-European Union citizens to visit any member country within the Schengen zone.

Proofread by Berlinda Entsie, journalist and copy editor at YEN.com.gh

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Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
Delali Adogla-Bessa avatar

Delali Adogla-Bessa (Current Affairs Editor) Delali Adogla-Bessa is a Current Affairs Editor with YEN.com.gh. Delali previously worked as a freelance journalist in Ghana and has over seven years of experience in media, primarily with Citi FM, Equal Times, Ubuntu Times. Delali also volunteers with the Ghana Institute of Language Literacy and Bible Translation, where he documents efforts to preserve local languages. He graduated from the University of Ghana in 2014 with a BA in Information Studies. Email: delali.adogla-bessa@yen.com.gh.