Accra, Ghana—The World Well being Group (WHO) Consultant to Ghana, Dr Francis Kasolo has known as for concerted motion to bridge the fairness hole within the distribution of medical doctors between rural and concrete areas in Ghana. 

Delivering the keynote deal with on the sixty fourth Annual Basic Convention of the Ghana Medical Affiliation (GMA) on the theme: physician distribution dilemma—the case of Ghana and its underserved areas, Dr Kasolo described the unfair distribution of medical doctors and different healthcare staff throughout the nation as a menace to efforts in direction of bettering the well being and wellbeing of all folks and urged all stakeholders to take motion instantly to deal with that.

“The inequitable distribution of medical doctors between rural and concrete areas is now a disaster. It significantly undermines our progress in direction of Common Well being Protection and we should all work collectively to deal with it”, Dr Kasolo famous.

Ghana has made great positive factors within the doctor-to-population ratio, bettering from one physician to 17,899 in 2005 to 1 physician to six,500 in 2020

Nevertheless, accessible knowledge additionally present that 42% of the medical doctors are in Accra alone, and as much as 81.3% of all medical doctors are concentrated in 5 areas–Better Accra, Ashanti, Central, Northern and Volta areas, with the Instructing Hospitals in these 5 areas collectively having over 60% of all of the medical doctors in Ghana. 

“Through the years, Ghana has made progress in bettering the doctor-to-population ratio, however we should keep in mind that the unfair distribution of those medical doctors results in unmet well being wants in rural and distant areas leading to a decreased life expectancy; increased preventable maternal and under-5 mortality charges,”  he added.

Dr Francis Kasolo recognized migration and retention challenges as a number of the causes of the shortages of medical doctors in Ghana and beneficial some key interventions in keeping with WHO tips on well being workforce growth, attraction, recruitment and retention in rural and distant areas.

“Offering differential incentives for these working in rural and under-served areas and re-engineering the coaching and regulation of medical doctors to incorporate in depth publicity to rural and under-served areas will assist enhance the scenario,”  he stated. “We should additionally present deliberate alternatives for the admission of medical college students from rural and disadvantaged areas and supply monetary help for his or her coaching.”

WHO has been supporting the Authorities of Ghana to enhance the maldistribution of medical doctors and different healthcare staff in Ghana. This consists of help to develop the multi-criteria deprivation index for use to objectively classify the districts in response to their relative ranges of deprivation. This when carried out can deal with each financial and non-pecuniary features of encouraging retention in rural and under-served areas.

As well as, WHO helps the event and implementation of well being sector staffing norms while additionally offering help for coaching wants evaluation of well being staff. WHO with funding from the UK Division of Well being and Social Care, (UK-DHSC) can be at present serving to Ghana to embark on a well being labour market evaluation to contribute to future insurance policies and techniques in addressing the well being employee challenges, particularly the wants of rural and under-served areas. 

Dr Francis Kasolo pledged the WHO’s steady help to Ghana in guaranteeing that nobody anyplace is left behind within the entry to healthcare providers.

“As WHO, we are going to proceed to work with all companions to assist drive the federal government’s efforts to attain equitable distribution of medical doctors and different healthcare staff in Ghana”, Dr Kasolo assures.