Ghana’s Ministry of Health has started engagements to introduce Migration Policy to reduce and mitigate impact of exodus of healthcare workers to Europe.
54% of trained Doctors and 24% of Nurses in Ghana have left the shores to European countries.
At 3-day Annual Health Sector Policy Dialogue organized by the Ministry of Health at the Rock City Hotel in Kwahu-Abetifi of the Eastern region under the theme “The exodus of healthcare workers from Ghana; Implications for skill-mix and network of practice innovations towards achieving UHC”, the Ministry of Health outlined a number of interventions including salary increment, improving condition of service and working conditions initiated by government to retain clinicians in the country.
A speech by the Minister of Health Kwaku Agyemang Manu read by his Deputy Tina Gifty Naa Ayele Mensah said “the migration of health workers from the country has negative consequences for the health sector .It leads to a shortage of health workers which can make it difficult for people to access quality healthcare services .It also increases workload on the remaining health workers which can lead to decline in the quality of care.
It can also have negative impact on the economy “
The Minister of Health stressed that,the ministry is working to address the root cause of health workers migration ,and also partnering with international organizations such as WHO to develop a framework on migration ,a document which will form basis for bilateral engagement.
“The Ministry poise to achieve 80 percentage coverage of universal health college.We cannot achieve UHC without the requisite human resource.The migration of health workers in Ghana is a potential threat to our growth and aspirations”.
The Ministry of Health is also working with international partners to promote ethical recruitment practices among foreign employers of health workers to ensure that Ghanaian health workers are not exploited or mistreated when they work overseas.
Also the Ministry is to forward data on separated staff including migrants to Ministry of Finance for employment of qualified healthcare workers who have not been posted yet to fill the vacant positions.
Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, the President of GRNA, underscored the importance Ghana having Migration policy for the health sector to give requisite guidelines as to how to earn some bilateral benefits from the exodus of healthcare workers from Ghana.
On his part, Dr. Francis Chisaka Kasolo, World Health Organization(WHO) Country representative in Ghana warned that, the high rate of migration of healthcare workers if not checked could affect the country’s achievement of universal healthcare coverage.
Dr. Kasolo further indicated that WHO is working with the government of Ghana in developing various strategies that will help the government manage the migration of health workers in a way that Ghana does not lack skilled health workers.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
