Doctors play a critical role in the health delivery of any country. The role of a doctor is so special that no one can assumed it in the absence of a certified doctor. It is to this effect that doctors are classified in Ghana as essentially service providers.The absence of a certified doctor in a health facility most often takes the breath out of such facility. Given the critical nature of their work, one will come to wonder why a doctor will refused posting to a particular health facility.
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Lamentations from northern Ghana over the refusal of doctors to accept posting there.
Doctors have consistently refused posting to the regions of the north. The Regional Director of Health Services for the Upper East region revealed in a Bolgatanga A1 Fm interview that five doctors posted to the region in November have all refused to report and have not heeded to their numerous calls to them. He further stated that those who are already working in the region are requesting to leave.
In 2021, The North- East Regional Minister lamented how five doctors posted to the region also refused to report to work. I can go on continuously to report on the yearly tortured health officials of the upper regions have been battling with the reluctance of doctors to come and work there.
Shocking statistics
In 2010, A Northern Regional Minister-designate, Mr Moses Bukari Mabenbga revealed that the doctor to patient ratio in the region was 1: 26,000. The figure rose to 1:51,000 in 2018. The President of the republic during a ceremony to honor Dr. Evans-Anfom in 2019, revealed that 52% of doctors are in the greater Accra Region with only 18% of them in the Ashanti region.
Why do doctors refusing posting to the North?
Most doctors shun from going to sub-urban areas because of “locum”. A term used to refer to doctors who do part- time jobs.
Parents and guardian of these doctors always want them to stay in the major towns. They go the extra mile of seeing influential persons and politicians to change their postings from distant places to these preferred places.
Other doctors refused to go for the government run facilities to private health facilities which have enhanced conditions of service. The demands for doctors outside the shores of Ghana is another factor. Most of them use their houseman-ship period to prepare put their documents that will enable them leave this country for greener pastures.
