President of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Prof Yorke has stated that the reluctance of doctors to accept postings to deprived areas stems largely from poor remuneration, lack of incentives, and unfavourable working conditions.

Professor Ernest Yorke made this statement while urging the government to swiftly implement incentives and improve facilities in deprived communities, as newly posted medical doctors continue to decline assignments to underserved areas.

Mintah Akandoh issues one-week ultimatum to newly posted doctors to report to work

Speaking on Joy FM on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, he said, “The situation is a classic chicken-and-egg scenario, which can go either way. There could be an incentive leading to the sacrifice, or we can have the sacrifice leading to the incentive, or we can do both at the same time. I would go for the latter,” he said.

Professor Yorke's concerns follow Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh’s decision to grant newly assigned doctors an additional week to report to their duty stations after what he described as an ‘alarming’ nationwide refusal to take up postings.

He noted that although the Ministry of Health already possesses a 'Deprived Area Incentive' document, developed by the Ministry with contributions from the GMA and other stakeholders, it has yet to be implemented.

He also pointed to limited opportunities for postgraduate training in these regions, which often forces doctors to pay significant amounts to pursue specialist training.

“We are calling on our members to continue sacrificing and accepting postings, but we are asking that the government appreciate their acceptance”, he stated.

Beyond staffing challenges, he stressed the urgent need to complete health infrastructure projects, particularly those under Agenda 111.

“It is not just the human manpower that is needed; it is also the facilities to work with. Can we partner with private persons to complete these facilities so that we can get them running?” he suggested.

80% of doctors posted to Upper West didn't show up for duty

While acceptance rates in Greater Accra, Central, and Ashanti regions have been satisfactory, Prof Yorke warned that other parts of the country continue to face severe shortages.

He called on the government to engage the public in dialogue to identify practical solutions that will ensure quality healthcare reaches deprived communities.

According to the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, early reporting figures were ‘not encouraging’, with seven out of every ten newly posted doctors failing to report.

The Upper West and Upper East regions, he added, recorded no arrivals as of Friday, November 28.

MRA/EB

Meanwhile, as the BBC moves the home of its Focus on Africa Podcast to Nairobi, GhanaWeb's Etsey Atisu connected with the host for an exclusive interview on The Lowdown. Watch it here: