Dr Nsiah Asare Outlines Government's Measures To Discourage Emigration Of Medical Practitioners

• The Presidential Advisor on Health, Dr Nsiah Asare, has outlined measures the government is taking to address the medical talent brain drain in the country
• He said the emigration of medical practitioners was a matter of grave concern for the government, and it has begun implementing solutions to help manage the problem
• He said one of the solutions is that the government has made postgraduate studies for medical practitioners free to facilitate career progression

Dr Anthony Nsiah Asare, the Presidential Advisor on Health, has outlined measures to address the increasing expatriation of Ghanaian health professionals to Western countries.

The emigration of medical personnel has been a hot topic recently, with several influential people in the country raising concerns about the phenomenon.

Data from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) disclosed that about 4,000 nurses and midwives left the country in 2023 for greener pastures.

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In reaction to this, Dr Asare said the government is working earnestly to eliminate the push factors and enhance the pull factors to retain talent within the country.

He disclosed that among the measures implemented to enhance the pull factors, the government has removed fees for postgraduate studies for doctors to streamline the system and make higher education accessible.

He said the government is also developing plans to establish more postgraduate colleges nationwide, a step towards decentralising the system and providing more opportunities for career progression and development.

Dr Nsiah Asare further stated that the government was working towards stabilising the cedi against the dollar to ensure that salaries paid to local practitioners would be at par with those abroad.

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And finally, to address accommodation challenges in the country, he said the government was collaborating with the private sector to ensure accommodation for medical practitioners close to their health facilities.

Survey reveals more doctors want to leave Ghana

Earlier, a survey established that even more medical doctors do not find their practice in Ghana rewarding and would like to leave the country.

Some 90% of 360 medical doctors sampled for the survey say they have considered leaving the country at some point.

The survey was conducted by the Ghana Medical Association (GMA).

President of the GMA, Dr Frank Serebuor, who announced the survey findings, said that while the survey result is unsurprising, there has been a jump in the number of doctors who want to emigrate.

He noted that poor service conditions are a key reason Ghanaian doctors want to leave the country.

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Emigration affecting Ghana’s health system

YEN.com.gh reported that the latest Ghana Human Development Report noted that 24% of nurses trained in Ghana work abroad.

The report warned that Ghana’s health system could worsen if nothing is immediately done to halt the exodus of nurses.

The United Nations Development Programme, the Statistical Service, and the National Development Planning Commission wrote the report.

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

Source: YEN.com.gh