Doctors working in hospitals without being paid is worrying – Bagbin

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has bemoaned the failure of the government to give financial clearance to some medical doctors who have completed their housemanship.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, November 18, 2022, the speaker said that he has come across doctors working in government hospitals without pay.

He added that because of the poor working conditions of health professionals in Ghana, including nurses and doctors, many of them are now leaving the country for greener pastures abroad.

“One and a half weeks ago, I met my colleague Speaker of Parliament of Barbados and he informed me that between last year and this year they were able to recruit 400 nurses … I meet some in Canada (medical officers) who told me, they are no longer interested in returning because of the lack of tools in our health facilities.

“… a few years ago, we had what we call brain gain, health personnel were returning to the country to work because things had greatly improved. I think the substance has gone down and you will have to sit up.

“It is a very serious matter, as of now, I know a number of district hospitals being manned by doctors who are not being paid. The new doctors that you are talking about financial clearance, they are unemployed and they have just volunteered to go to those district hospitals just to work for free. So, it is an urgent matter,” he said.

Speaker Bagbin urged the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, to engage the Public Services Commission of Ghana to help resolve the challenge of getting financial clearance for doctors who have completed their housemanship.

Watch the speaker’s remarks below:



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