The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has called on Regional Ministers, Members of Parliament and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives to play an active role in retaining medical doctors posted to rural parts of the country.
According to the minister, one of the major challenges facing the health sector is the refusal of some newly posted doctors to accept postings to underserved regions. He acknowledged that some doctors have raised concerns about poor living conditions, especially the lack of accommodation and incentives in deprived areas.
To address these concerns, the minister said he has been engaging regional stakeholders across the country to find practical solutions.
“I have been engaging with DCEs, the regional ministers, the MPs, the chiefs. If you want me to post a medical doctor or health professional to your district, you must be ready to provide decent accommodation and support systems to retain them,” he said. “We must work together to solve this problem.”
Mr. Akandoh made the appeal during a validation visit to the Upper East Region, where he toured facilities at the regional hospital and engaged health workers and MDCEs on challenges affecting healthcare delivery in the region.
27 doctors were posted to the Upper East Region this year, but only 7 reported. Out of the 7 that reported, 2 refused to stay and moved to the Northern region and were later retained, leaving just 5 of the newly posted doctors currently serving in the Upper East Region.
Of the 5, 4 are working at the regional hospital while 1 accepted to be posted to the Paga Hospital.
The minister said the situation reflects a broader national challenge in the distribution of medical professionals across the country. He noted that a significant number of doctors prefer postings to major cities, particularly the capital.
“About 50 percent of the medical doctors we have in this country are in Greater Accra, and when you break down the numbers further, a large concentration is within Accra itself,” he said, describing the trend as a serious imbalance that government must address.
Mr. Akandoh explained that government has adopted a deliberate strategy to post more doctors to rural and district-level facilities where there are critical shortages. According to him, about 83 percent of doctors recruited in 2025 were posted to primary healthcare facilities, particularly in rural areas, while a smaller percentage were sent to tertiary institutions.
The minister added that while government is exploring ways to improve incentives for health workers, it must also consider fairness across other sectors of the public service.
A1 Radio | 101.1Mhz | Joshua Asaah | Bolgatanga
