Accept postings to countryside – President to new doctors
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged 378 newly inducted medical doctors and dentists, to accept postings to the countryside where their services are most needed.
This, he noted, would enable Ghana’s health care system respond more to the needs of the people, as government worked to improve their service conditions.
The President made the call in Accra, at a special induction ceremony of the Medical and Dental Council, where Dr. Emmanuel Evans-Anfom, a patriot and an icon of the medical profession and a member of the Council, was also honoured for his invaluable contribution to Ghana’s health care architecture.
He urged the new doctors to emulate the record of Dr Evans-Anfom, who during his practicing days as a medical doctor, accepted postings to almost every region of the country.
“The doctor, dentist population in our country remains unsatisfactory after 62 years of nationhood. We currently do not have the right numbers of doctors, dentists and healthcare professionals with the right mix of skills and expertise in our regions, districts and deprived communities especially for the newly created regions and districts,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo said government is engaging the Ghana Medical Association to take another look at its codified conditions of service, which were overdue for review. He added that special attention would be given to incentive packages, to encourage medical personnel who accepted posting to rural and under-served communities.
“We will continue to engage stakeholders on how to care better for health professionals and how collectively, we can make our healthcare system more responsive to the needs of our people,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo implored the new doctors to abide by the oath they have sworn to, in order to maintain high standards at all times.
“Government is committed to improving access to essential and quality health services, through the provision of the necessary health infrastructure, equipment and logistics including; the deployment of appropriate technology as part of our drive to attaining Universal Health Coverage today,” he stated.
Source: GNA