WELCOME ABOARD, UDS DOCTORS

Page 7: Daily Graphic, April 4, 2012. THE doctor-patient ratio in the country is nothing to write home about. The picture is gloomier in northern Ghana and the reason is not far-fetched. Public servants, including those from the north, refuse posting to deprived communities and the health sector in the north has been affected by that malaise. The two medical schools in the country have trained quite a number of doctors who are helping to provide the healthcare needs of the people, but this number falls short of the desired requirement to meet the challenges in the health sector. The challenge is further compounded by the exodus of trained health professionals, especially doctors, to countries where the grass is greener, or so it is assumed. The brain drain that has affected the health sector has engaged the attention of our governments, but so far it appears there is no immediate solution in sight. The situation is more worrying in northern Ghana where the doctor-patient ratio is about 1:I8,257. The figure is almost an arithmetic of the national figure of 1:I0,423 as of 20I0. The Daily Graphic thinks that it is about time the nation doubled its efforts at improving the manpower requirements in the health sector. It is refreshing, however, that the first batch of 27 doctors trained through a collaboration between the University for Development Studies (UDS) and the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) has completed its training. That, according to the management of both institutions, is a significant development, as it marks the beginning of an ambitious journey to produce hundreds of medical practitioners from the north. The journey thus far has not only been an ambitious one but very tortuous as well, and that is why it is our prayer that these new doctors will stay and offer their services to the people of the three northern regions. If in the past many doctors who were trained in the south failed to appreciate the challenges in the north, the doctors trained at the UDS will appreciate the circumstances of the area that offered them training to chart their career goals. We salute all those who have helped to make the UDS Medical School a reality. The students, their parents and the faculty of UDS deserve commendation for their sacrifices and hard work to make this laudable project fruitful. We think the government is doing its best, within budgetary constraints, to attract health professionals to work in deprived communities in the country. However, there is the need for more action to motivate health professionals to accept posting to the rural areas and develop the passion for the area in order to serve the people for many years. We concede that the training of these 27 new doctors was at a huge cost to the government, stakeholders and international partners and this project can continue to stand on its feet only with support from the entire society. Going forward, the Daily Graphic recalls a statement by Professor Kyei-Aboagye of the UDS School of Medicine and Health Sciences just to remind us of the sacrifices ahead. He was spot on when he said it was important for the new doctors to stay and work in the north, but it was equally important for our political leaders to work towards improving living conditions in the north. We urge that we step up our action to bridge the development gap between the north and the south in order to encourage all Ghanaian professionals to accept posting to northern Ghana.