Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the director general of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) is optimistic the country stands to benefit by entering into bilateral agreements with other countries for the export of health workers.
Nearly 150 experienced nurses and other health professionals from the Pantang Hospital have left Ghana in search of greener pastures in the last six years.
Of the number, 100 are specialised psychiatric and general nurses while the rest consist of doctors, pharmacists, technicians and other experienced personnel in the healthcare delivery chain.
Data sourced from the hospital showed that the number of experienced professionals that have abandoned their jobs started increasing in an alarming manner since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“With the bilateral agreements in place, we will know the number who have left and how long they will be out for so we can easily replace them. Without this information, it burdens the health sector,” Kuma-Aboagye said on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Friday (3 March).
“You cannot stop those who want to leave the country, this is the fact … because there are some incentives [offered outside the country] that we cannot match …” he said.
Kuma-Aboagye added, “We are doing a lot to ensure that those who pass out of our health educational institutions are picked up for jobs … “
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GHS boss: Bilateral arrangements for export of health workers will inure to Ghana’s benefit
