The fresh refusal of medical doctors to simply accept postings to deprive spaces in Ghana could be very being worried. This has an overly top doable to reason larger morbidity and mortality in those spaces.

The loss of medical doctors within the affected amenities will compel the folk within the catchment spaces to go back and forth lengthy distances to get right of entry to healthcare. This will due to this fact create geographical and fiscal inaccessibility.

Indeed, even if the present to be had hospitals in Ghana are functioning, other folks nonetheless come upon geographical boundaries because of unhealthy roads; travelling via tough terrains.

For example, a pal and I had an overly horrible revel in once we attempted to power from Samreboi to Prestea within the Western Region. We needed to abandon the adventure as a result of simplest tractors may use the street on the time (please see connected photos). This geographical barrier, coupled with loss of medical doctors, has a top tendency to extend morbidity and mortality.

About 18 years in the past, a girl who used to be bleeding all over being pregnant (a situation referred to as Antepartum haemorrhage – APH) in a village close to Sefwi Juaboso died on her strategy to Sefwi Wiawso Government Hospital.

This used to be as a result of there used to be no functioning health facility in Sefwi Juaboso and there used to be no Doctor on accountability at Sefwi Asafo Hospital which is ready halfway between Sefwi Juaboso and Sefwi Wiawso (Dr. Samuel Osei-Nketiah. Make Juabeso Hospital Functional. Daily Graphic – February 9, 2007).

Again, in 2011, some other girl died from bleeding after supply (a situation referred to as postpartum haemorrhage – PPH) on her strategy to 37 Military health facility. This girl began bleeding after supply in Afienya.

She used to be rushed to Tema General Hospital, however as a result of there used to be no physician on accountability, the kin determined to proceed to the 37 Military health facility. Unfortunately, she died on her approach (Dr. Samuel Osei-Nketiah.

System Failure at Tema General Hospital. Daily Graphic – November 15, 2011). Similarly, in 2014, some other girl died in Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) because of serious bleeding after supply at Nkawie Government Hospital within the Ashanti Region.

There used to be no physician at Nkawie Government Hospital to resuscitate her and there used to be extend in getting an ambulance. She due to this fact evolved a serious complication referred to as disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) sooner than she arrived at KATH.

Consequently, she succumbed to the complication (Dr. Samuel Osei-Nketiah. Maternal mortality: The affect of ‘no doctor syndrome’. Daily Graphic – June 25, 2014)

Indeed, the aforementioned circumstances are simply among the avoidable deaths that happen in Ghana because of loss of Doctors, geographical inaccessibility or monetary inaccessibility.

POSSIBLE CAUSES

1. Lack of Differential Salaries and Incentives

Based on my interplay with different medical doctors, the loss of differential wage and incentives are key elements that save you some medical doctors to simply accept posting to the disadvantaged spaces. In my non-public revel in, I labored in Tarkwa Government Hospital as clinical officer for just about 5 (5) years from January 2000.

We had been simplest two; the opposite physician being my boss. Most of the time, I labored for just about 24 hours; operating as a doctor, paediatrician, a surgeon, obstetrician and a gynaecologist. Indeed, at a time limit, I used to be by myself for just about twelve months when my boss travelled.

During that length, I labored for just about 24 hours each day. However, I simplest won wage in keeping with my grade with none recourse to the workload and the over the top additional hours.

What saved me operating used to be my judgment of right and wrong, empathy, pastime and the will to serve humanity. There used to be no govt coverage that will stay one to paintings underneath such prerequisites.

Again, I labored by myself on the Sefwi Wiawso Government Hospital for just about two (2) years from October 2004; operating nearly 24 hours each day with none govt incentive. The simplest incentive used to be my judgment of right and wrong, empathy, pastime and the will to serve mankind.

2.  Fear of Being Locked Up

Most younger medical doctors are fearful of the potential for getting locked up within the rural spaces. People have complained of no longer being launched to visit different amenities or to go into into postgraduate coaching.

Story is informed of a few administrators soliciting for the physician to get a alternative sooner than she or he could be launched to go away; thereby combating them from progressing.

3.  Poor Up-Bottom Communication and Neglect of Doctors in Deprived Areas

Another conceivable issue is overlook of medical doctors within the rural spaces. There is typically deficient conversation to these within the rural spaces. For example, when I used to be in Tarkwa Government Hospital, interview for business environment used to be performed with out my wisdom.

It used to be a colleague who later hinted me; and I needed to name the regional director of well being products and services to whinge. He then requested me to come back the next day to come which used to be intended to be the remaining day and have been slated for nurses.

Again, when I used to be in Sefwi Wiawso Government Hospital, I by no means won any legitimate data each time software used to be opened for postgraduate front exam. Indeed, within the 12 months I wrote my front exam, it used to be a pal who informed me software have been opened for a very long time.

At the time I used to be filing my software, acceptance of software have been closed and I needed to struggle for mine to be permitted.   Those within the regional capitals have a tendency to get additional info and potential markets than the ones within the rural spaces.

Scholarships are typically given to these within the regional capitals. This is what I seen when I used to be within the Western Region.

4. Lack of Good Basic Schools

One of the explanations some medical doctors refuse posting to the agricultural spaces is loss of just right elementary faculties for his or her kids. Over the years, maximum medical doctors I’ve interviewed and mentioned posting to the agricultural spaces give this as certainly one of their causes they wouldn’t settle for posting to the agricultural spaces.

I latterly interviewed one physician and that used to be her reaction too. It will have to be famous that folks from those communities have excelled academically; and the lately ended 2025 National Science and Mathematics Quiz testifies to that.

Indeed, a few of us attended rural elementary and secondary faculties. In 2024, a scholar from Kade Senior High Technical School (Henschel Tabi Frempong-Manso) used to be ranked 2^nd highest WASSCE candidate in West Africa (www.ghanaweb.com; Tuesday, 1^st July, 2025).

Again, a valedictorian on the college of Ghana 2024 commencement (L/Cpl Nyarko Obeng) attended Adanwomase Senior High School (www.ghanaweb.com; Monday, 29^th January, 2025).

However, maximum medical doctors worry it might be a drawback to ship their kids there; despite the fact that the hospitals are most commonly within the district capitals.

5. Lack of Passion, Ethics, Empathy and the Desire to Serve Humanity

It is turning into abundantly transparent that almost all medical doctors aren’t within the enterprise development with pastime, empathy and the will to serve mankind. Most position their non-public pursuits above that of the sufferers they’ve been educated to maintain.

These non-public pursuits are myriad; and examples aren’t restricted to these enumerated above. Extortion from sufferers has transform rampant. Ironically, these types of medical doctors declare to be spiritual; maximum being Christians and Muslims.  

SOLUTIONS

1. Differential Salaries and Incentive Packages

It will have to be famous that, maximum medical doctors at the moment are searching for an incentive that can draw in them to the disadvantaged spaces. Government will have to due to this fact search for tactics of incentivising posting of medical doctors to the agricultural spaces.

This might be within the type of differential salaries, automobile and housing loans with low rates of interest, accountability waiver for automobiles and scholarships.

A German physician as soon as informed me that, medical doctors within the rural spaces in Germany get extra wage than the ones within the towns. In view of that, he mentioned, maximum younger medical doctors want to visit the agricultural spaces for some time; they usually come again to the towns when they’ve made sufficient cash. I believe adopting this digital tools in Ghana may assist power medical doctors to the agricultural spaces.

A sliding rule can be utilized for the automobile and housing loans and accountability waivers. For example, if a health care provider works in a rural house, she or he will qualify for accountability waiver/automobile mortgage after 2 years whist the ones within the towns must paintings for 10 years sooner than qualifying.

For the housing mortgage, the ones within the rural spaces will qualify after operating for five years whist the ones within the towns might qualify after operating for two decades.  

Those within the rural spaces will have to be given choice each time there’s a scholarship programme and this will have to be carried out with honesty, transparency and with out favour.

Doctors within the rural spaces might be presented loose lodging and allowances for utilities as incentives.

Other healthcare employees within the rural spaces may be given identical incentives.

2. Policy to Allay the Fear of Being Locked Up

Clear govt coverage will have to be evolved to put down transparent pathways for individuals who settle for posting to the agricultural spaces. The prerequisites one will have to fulfill sooner than qualifying for switch or unencumber for postgraduate coaching will have to be spelt out and guided by way of a written report made readily to be had to each and every physician and all different stakeholders.

This will keep away from abuse of energy by way of the administrators within the hospitals, districts and the areas. Similar coverage may be evolved for different well being employees who settle for posting to the agricultural spaces.

3. Strengthening of the Policy on District Posting Before Postgraduate Training

This coverage on district posting for no less than two years sooner than admission into postgraduate coaching with wage will have to be bolstered and enforced. Those who serve the 2 years will have to no longer face any obstacle to go into into postgraduate coaching.

This will create a cycle of medical doctors to the agricultural spaces. However, the ones with out the minimal of 2 years district posting may input into coaching with out wage.

4. Effective Communication Channels

The areas will have to evolved efficient conversation channels to be sure that medical doctors within the rural spaces aren’t neglected. This is also within the type of regional electronic mail platform, WhatsApp and Telegram platforms and knowledge will have to be disseminated promptly and transparently.

5. Establishment of Quality Basic Schools within the Districts

Government will have to lend a hand the district assemblies to construct high quality faculties within the districts.  The fashions utilized by the University of Ghana elementary faculty, Volta River Authority elementary faculty in Akosombo, the Armed Forces elementary faculties and the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital MOH elementary faculty can also be studied to verify high quality instructing. Similarly, the fashions of widely recognized just right personal faculties might be studied.

6. Teaching of Ethics from elementary Schools to University and Teaching of Religious Ethos from Childhood

As said previous, maximum medical doctors have thrown out ethics and non secular ethos. There is lack of pastime, empathy and want to serve humanity even supposing maximum medical doctors painting themselves as spiritual; maximum folks being Christians and Muslims.

Despite the plethora of teachings within the Holy Bible and the Holy Quran admonishing us to serve humanity, it isn’t reflecting in our lives.

Quotations within the bible come with 1 Peter 4:10-11, Romans 12:10, Matthew 25:35-40, Ephesians 6:7-8, Mark 10:45 and Colossians 3:23-24. Quotations within the Quran come with Quran bankruptcy 2:215 and bankruptcy 2:277.  

Teaching of ethics and non secular ethos would assist opposite this damaging development. Indeed, my want to head additional mile to serve humanity emanated from what I learnt about Confucius in number one faculty and the spiritual ethos I learnt as a catholic all over catechism in my number one faculty days.

One of the sayings of Confucius I learnt in number one faculty (Do Unto Others What You Wish Others to Do Unto You) has all the time been my tenet in my quest to serve humanity.

I’ve all the time needed to serve the disadvantaged and the inclined; and I’ve all the time needed to ship the products and services to the door steps of the disadvantaged and inclined. In 1998, after our first two internship/housemanship rotations on the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), our 12 months crew used to be requested to proceed with the opposite two rotations on the KBTH as a substitute of going to the regional hospitals.

However, on account of my want to get nearer to the folk within the rural spaces, I opted to go away Korle-Bu. I due to this fact went to Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital (ENRH) in Sekondi-Takoradi of the Western area of Ghana in October 1998. Indeed, I used to be reluctantly launched by way of KBTH.

After my different two rotations in ENRH, I willingly went to the regional director to put up me to the district upon which I used to be posted to Tarkwa in January 2000; and from there to Sefwi Wiawso in October 2004 from the place I left to start out postgraduate coaching in October 2006.

Working in those spaces presented me super advantages; gaining numerous clinical and administrative abilities.

Another idea that has guided me is the will to serve Ghana for the reason that other folks of Ghana without delay and not directly helped me to reach my dream of turning into a health care provider. Indeed, within the 12 months 2000, a pal within the United States of America presented to sponsor me to transport to the US, however I declined.

Again, in 2017, an immigration officer at an airport in the US used to be convincing me to come back and paintings in the US. I informed him I’d take into accounts it. He accordingly gave twelve months of keep despite the fact that I had informed him I used to be going to be there for approximately 6 weeks.

After my residency coaching, I’d have long past again to the district, however my boss and the pinnacle of division informed me to stick and lend a hand in coaching clinical scholars and citizens (postgraduate scholars). After brooding about over it, I noticed it as a type of provider to humanity.

The health facility due to this fact despatched a request to the Ministry of Health for my retention on the KBTH and this used to be accordingly granted. That however, I nonetheless attempt to get nearer to the disadvantaged and inclined by way of becoming a member of an NGO or people with my very own automobile and gasoline to render loose surgical care within the districts.

Serving humanity, particularly the disadvantaged and inclined, could be very pleasing and fulfilling. I’d due to this fact love to entreat the medical doctors to replicate on their choices.

They may settle for the postings for no less than 2 years. It will have to be famous that training medication is going past consulting and prescribing; and this can also be preferred when the definition of well being by way of World Health Organisation is significantly analysed.

There are circumstances sufferers are assisted financially and psychologically. There are events one would power to the city with sufferers or kin to retrieve their cash from pharmacy attendants who had to start with refused to refund or substitute medication that they had wrongly distributed.

Indeed, one has long past past the consulting rooms and wards to lend a hand sufferers in such a lot of ways in which have drastically contributed to the therapeutic strategy of sufferers: and the aforementioned are only a few.

This opinion piece used to be written by way of:

Dr. Samuel Osei-Nketiah, Paediatric Surgery Unit, University of Ghana Medical Centre, Legon, Accra.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by way of Readers and Contributors in this platform don’t essentially constitute the perspectives or coverage of Multimedia Group Limited.