The President of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Professor Ernest Yorke, has raised critical concerns over the persistent challenges preventing newly posted medical doctors from accepting placements in deprived communities. He is calling for immediate government action to provide proper incentives and improve health facilities nationwide.
This follows Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh’s decision to grant newly assigned doctors an additional week to report to their respective duty stations after what he described as an “alarming” refusal rate across the country.
According to the Minister, the initial reporting figures were “not encouraging,” with 7 out of every 10 newly posted doctors failing to show up. The situation is most severe in the Upper West and Upper East regions, where no doctor had reported as of Friday, November 28.
Speaking on Joy FM on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, Prof. Yorke explained that although many doctors are willing to accept postings, low remuneration, lack of incentives, and poor working conditions discourage them from working in deprived locations.
He described the situation as a “classic chicken-and-egg scenario,” stressing that incentives and sacrifice must go hand in hand.
“We are calling on our members to continue sacrificing and accepting postings, but we are asking that the government appreciate their acceptance,” he said.
Prof. Yorke insisted that postings to deprived areas must come with the proper incentive packages. He referenced an existing Deprived Area Incentive document, developed by the GMA and submitted to the Ministry of Health, which has still not been implemented.
He also highlighted the limited access to postgraduate training in remote regions, noting that some doctors are forced to pay huge fees to specialize due to inadequate training opportunities.
Beyond staffing challenges, Prof. Yorke stressed the urgent need to provide adequate medical facilities, citing delays in completing hospitals under Agenda 111.
“It is not just the human manpower that is needed; it is also the facilities to work with. Can we partner with private persons to complete these facilities so that we can get them running?” he asked.
While acceptance rates in Greater Accra, Central, and Ashanti regions remain encouraging, the rest of the country continues to face severe shortages of medical professionals.
Prof. Yorke urged the government to initiate broader public dialogue to find practical and lasting solutions to ensure access to healthcare in deprived communities.
#GMA #GhanaHealthService #MedicalDoctors #DoctorPostings #UnderservedCommunities #UpperWest #UpperEast #HealthMinister #KwabenaMintahAkandoh #ProfessorErnestYorke #GhanaMedicalAssociation #DeprivedAreaIncentive #Agenda111 #HealthcareChallenges #GhanaNews #Nzemaxpress #HealthSector #PostgraduateTraining #MedicalFacilities #NationalDevelopment
0 Comments