Stephen Yakubu, the Upper East Regional Minister has hinted that Municipal and District Assemblies in the region will begin sponsoring medical students as a strategy to ensure the availability of doctors in the hospitals in the region.
The Regional Minister further stated that he has given a directive to all the 15 Municipal and District Chief Executives in the region to facilitate the process.
“I have given a directive to all the district and municipal assemblies to sponsor at least one doctor. We need to plan and we need to be proactive. You know we are building Agenda 111 here. We have about 8 of them in this region which are in various stages of construction. What are we going to do even if now we are struggling to get doctors to fill Bolga hospitals? What about if we have all these buildings, all these hospitals, what are we going to do?”
He further pointed out that, this was a proactive measure to be instituted to curtail the foreseeable challenge that might emerge.
“As NPP government and as who we are, a proactively thinking, I’ve already directed all my DCEs and municipal chief executives to at least sponsor someone. We are doing that right now so that we can at least have 15 doctors coming out in 5 years’ time. And that will continue so that we can have doctors. And if we have some of these doctors, we can train some of them to specialize.”
Responding to a question on the approach to the proposed scholarship package system would work, the minister said it was a directive from him as the minister and government. Adding that it was going to be likened to a scholarship scheme where qualified people will be expected to apply. He further mentioned that the sponsored individuals will be bonded to serve in the region.
“It’s a directive from me and from the government and what we’re saying is that people will apply, and then they will screen. It can be an NDC, NPP, PPP whatever it is and bonded also not to abscond.”
The Regional Minister made this revelation during an interview with A1 Radio during an exclusive interview with him at his residence.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Gerard Awombadek Asagi|Ghana
