The Ministry of Health has announced plans to remove from the government payroll medical doctors who fail to report to postings in deprived areas.
Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh gave the directive during a working visit to the University of Ghana Medical School, stating that a validation exercise will be conducted at the end of February. Doctors who do not assume duty by then will have their names struck off the payroll, and their positions reassigned to others willing to serve.
The Minister said the move is aimed at addressing the persistent shortage and uneven distribution of doctors, particularly in deprived districts. He noted that although over 700 doctors were posted to underserved areas last year, some have declined to take up their assignments.
While acknowledging concerns about accommodation and working conditions, Mr. Akandoh stressed that government postings are mandatory and not optional, warning that refusal to honour them undermines healthcare delivery. “There are districts in this country without a single medical doctor. We cannot govern like that,” he said.
During the visit, the Minister also outlined policy measures to strengthen the health sector, including the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, which supports patients referred by specialists, and plans to expand private sector participation in equipment provision through pay-per-use arrangements under the National Health Insurance Scheme.
On stalled Agenda 111 hospital projects, he admitted that completing more than 100 facilities within a short period is financially challenging. He said the government is engaging corporate entities to help complete selected projects in exchange for tax incentives, after which the facilities will revert to the state.
Meanwhile, Provost of the College of Health Sciences, Professor Alfred Edwin Yawson, appealed for urgent support to address a growing faculty shortage, warning that aging and retiring academic staff pose a threat to the training of future health professionals. He also called for expanded investment in simulation-based medical training to ease congestion in teaching hospitals and improve student intake.