Major interventions for human resource problems of health sector

Accra, Dec. 13, GNA- A number of programmes would be implemented next year to increase the number of health workers and improve their conditions of service, Vice President Aliu Mahama, announced on Friday.

Speaking at a dinner to climax the inaugural activities of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons (GCPS), Vice President Mahama said the intake of the medical schools would be increased, while the capacity of training institutions would be expanded.

To address the short-term shortage of personnel, however, Vice President Mahama said the Ministry of Health would also re-start the training of health care assistants.

Additionally, he said, the Ministry would encourage health professionals to serve in rural and deprived areas through its "Differential Deprived Areas Incentives" programme under which health professionals will be redistributed and incentives paid to those who stay in critical areas.

"As a Government, we have not been reduced to only lamenting without providing concrete measures to stem the tide of brain drain," he pointed out.

"In addition to establishing the GCPS, to encourage our medical professional to pursue training in Ghana, the Ministry of Health has been tasked to conclude negotiations with the health sector professional group on improved compensation, salaries and housing conditions," he said.

President Kufuor inaugurated the GCPS, on Tuesday, to offer post-graduate training in medicine, following a Parliamentary Act passed in December 2002 that received Presidential assent in 2003.

Courses at the College would span four to six years and they include specialist education in Medicine, Surgery and related disciplines.

The College would also engage in continuous professional development in Medicine, Surgery and related disciplines, promote and co-ordinate education and research in Medicine and Surgery and contribute to the formation of policies on sound health and public health generally.

Vice President Mahama said the Health Ministry had also developed new career programmes for nurses and allied professionals, introduced student vacation attachment and pharmacy housemanship expanded sandwich programmes and initiated accreditation for diploma programmes.

He assured the GCPS of the Government's support to function efficiently and urged to extend its programmes to cover doctors in the regions and districts through appropriate arrangements.

Heath Minister Dr Kwaku Afriyie said giving health professionals a very attractive pay package was the simple solution to the brain drain problem, but that was difficult to implement as it would create sharp disparities among the salaries of professionals in other fields with similar qualifications.

He said at the next World Health Assembly, Ghana would make a case against the developed countries who are violating the community rights of poor countries by attracting health professionals they have invested in with their scarce resources.

Dr Afriyie said the National Ambulance Service System would be fully operational next year to respond to emergency health needs of Ghanaians. Professor Samuel Ofosu-Amaah, President of GCPS, said the issue of ethics would be critically addressed.

He suggested that other means in addition to direct government funding should be explored to motivate health professionals, saying district assemblies could for instance take up the bill of additional duty allowance.