General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association, Dr Frank Siribour has urged the government to divulge the confidential information concerning the quota system to the medical doctors and dentists.
According to him, he cannot fathom why the NPP government would abort posting newly-trained doctors to various regions because they are ‘reluctant’ to accept postings in deprived regions.
Medical doctors and dentists will from next year be employed under a quota system being introduced by the Ghana Health Service (GHS).
Director-General of GHS, Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare, who announced this explained that the newly-trained doctors will no longer be posted but apply to the regions and sail through an interview process for them to be engaged.
“It has been observed that most young medical doctors and dentists are reluctant to accept postings to work in such needy areas after their housemanship. On that note, this year, we’ve started interviewing doctors; we’re not posting them anymore and next year, we shall give quotas to regions,” he said.
Dr Nsiah-Asare was addressing the 2017 graduation and oath swearing ceremony for the School of Medical Sciences, Dental School and the School of Veterinary Medicine at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi.
Stressing on the matter, Dr Siribour lambasted the ministry for such implementations since he believes doctors are ready to work for the country if only they are highly motivated.
He recalled instances where new-trained doctors after their housemanships were dying to be posted in Bawku in the Upper East Region due to better incentives, promotions and educational scholarships that were waiting in-line for doctors who worked there.
With this, the General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association has urged the government to spill the beans concerning the issue than beating about it.
“If you want people to go to a deprived area you have to put mechanisms that will attract them there. In Bawku there were incentives there, promotions and educational scholarships. Doctors were posted there and never complained. WA regional hospital had lots of doctors too. We need comfort for families. We need to be motivated…”
“If there is no money now and doctors can’t be posted anymore, explain to the people. If that is the case, make it clear that you can’t employ so Doctors should onwards apply for jobs. They should be plain, clear and simple…”
DR. Siribour said GMA will be meeting with the Ghana Health Service to re-examining the policy.
“We will have a meeting on this. We will talk about the system. We will give suggestions. We will refer them back to look at the single spine policies…” he said on Accra-based Okay FM.
