About 70% of newly posted medical officers have yet to report to their designated posts. The latest report released on November 28 by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) shows a low to zero turnout, particularly in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions, raising concerns of a looming healthcare staffing crisis and further strain on already underserved facilities.

The report shows that an overwhelming 305 doctors, or 66%, have still not shown up. This means that 7 out of 10 doctors failed to report to their assigned regions.

According to the data, urban facilities in Greater Accra and Kumasi, as well as the Eastern region, are recording the highest turnout, with many doctors reporting to their posts, representing over 60% of the total turnout, to the neglect of rural centres. Several health centres in rural areas still wait in hopes of the appearance of medical officers deployed to their districts.

Regions in the North have recorded an abysmal turnout. North East so far has recorded a zero turnout after a 19 medical officers' allocation. The Upper West Region also had no reporting despite an allocation of 32. Oti, with 21 allocations, saw only one officer reporting (4.8%), Western North recorded two out of 31, representing a 6.5% turnout, and Savannah had seven officers reporting out of 19 allocated, representing a 36.8%. In the other low-performing regions, Upper East recorded seven reports out of 35 allocations, representing a 20% turnout, while the Northern Region saw seven out of 32 officers reporting, representing 21.9% percent.

Reacting to this, Health Minister, Mintah Akandoh, in a press briefing yesterday, Tuesday, December 2, noted that postings to these areas were not a punishment but to ensure an equitable distribution of medical officers nationwide.

“The update on the posting of new medical officers across the country is not encouraging. However, I wish to emphasise that the government's policy of sending officers to the districts should not be misconstrued or perceived as punishment. But it should be seen as an equitable distribution of our health workforce, and we are reporting the medical doctors where they are needed most, and therefore, I'm confident that these newly posted med docs will respond to our call to save and serve mother Ghana.

Have seen from the update that regions Upper West and East were recording zero, and have recorded 0 turnout. We will give them an additional week to appeal to them to report to their various facilities where they have been posted”, the Minister noted.

Most often, it is reported that medical officers posted to rural centres appeal to be reassigned to the cities due to the lack of adequate infrastructure, medical facilities, and equipment, among other challenges that make postings to these areas unattractive to them.

Addressing that, the Minister explicitly stated that this time, no changes will be made to any posting. He said, “After which, we will do what we call validation. Unfortunately, there is no way we can do anything here, unfortunately”.

He continued that discussions are already underway with the respective authorities in their districts to ensure their smooth stay to help them offer excellent medical services to the people.

“And so we will give them 1 more week to report while we are also engaging the stakeholders in their respective districts, DCE, Regional ministers, Chiefs, Members of Parliament (MP), to facilitate their stay in their district to be able to give their best. We've started that by engaging them myself. Govt will also look at how we can incentivise them to help them give their best. I believe our doctors will respond to this call”, he mentioned.

The low turnout recorded in Ghana’s rural centres, particularly in the |Northern sectors, is nothing new as it is a long-standing challenge in Ghana’s health sector. Over the years, doctors have refused or delayed postings to rural and deprived areas, mainly due to poor infrastructure, lack of accommodation, and limited career opportunities.

Consequently, President John Dramani Mahama announced in his healthcare manifesto and policy statements, some reforms his government intends to make in the health sector to make postings to these rural areas attractive. Part of these include providing affordable accommodation at health facilities, offering home ownership schemes, and introducing risk exposure insurance for health workers.

The doctor–patient ratio in Ghana is about 1:10,450, with most doctors concentrated in Accra, Kumasi, and other urban centres, while areas like the Upper West and Northern regions have historically faced severe shortages, leaving rural populations underserved.

The posting of these doctors came about a month after the President of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Dr Frank Serebour, disclosed that approximately 800 doctors are jobless because they are waiting to be posted to various institutions to commence work.