In Ghana, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has called on healthcare professionals to accept postings in areas where they are most needed. Speaking at the 60th anniversary celebrations of the School of Nursing and Midwifery of the University of Ghana, Akufo-Addo encouraged healthcare professionals to emulate their forebearers who accepted to work in any part of the country, in much harsher times. The President's call comes against the refusal of some health professionals to accept postings to remote areas in some parts of the country

 

Despite the good reputation of the country's schools of nursing and midwifery and the quality of their training, the nurse-population ratio in Ghana is still unsatisfactory after 66 years of nationhood. Therefore, Akufo-Addo is appealing to all health practitioners to accept postings to all districts and regional hospitals where their services are needed the most

 

The call from the President is timely, as Ghana's healthcare system has experienced a shortage of health workers in recent years. The shortage of medical professionals is especially acute in rural and remote areas, where the majority of the population lives. The situation has led to a strain on the health care system, resulting in long waiting times and substandard care.

 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the nurse-population ratio in Ghana is one nurse to every 1,000 people, which falls below the minimum threshold of one nurse to every 500 people recommended by the organization. The lack of healthcare professionals in the country is the result of several factors, including inadequate training facilities, low salaries, and poor working conditions.

 

The President's appeal is in line with the government's plan to increase access to healthcare services in all parts of the country. The government's flagship program, the National Health Insurance Scheme, aims to provide universal health coverage to all citizens. However, this goal cannot be achieved without an adequate number of healthcare professionals in the country.

 

To address the shortage of healthcare workers, the government has implemented several measures, including the expansion of training facilities, the introduction of incentives for health workers who accept postings to rural and remote areas, and the recruitment of health workers from other countries. These measures have yielded some positive results, but more needs to be done to ensure that all Ghanaians have access to quality healthcare services.

 

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's call for healthcare professionals to accept postings to all parts of the country is a step in the right direction. The healthcare sector is critical to the development of any nation, and Ghana is no exception. The shortage of healthcare professionals in the country is a major challenge that needs to be addressed urgently. The government's efforts to increase access to healthcare services must be complemented by the willingness of health workers to accept postings to rural and remote areas. The government must also address the root causes of the shortage of healthcare professionals by providing better training facilities, improving working conditions, and increasing salaries. Only then can Ghana achieve its goal of providing universal health coverage to all citizens.