By Godfred Aaneamenga Polkuu, GNA
Bolgatanga, Feb. 27, GNA –– Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Minister of Health, has boosted the morale of Dr Ama Antwiwaa Adu-Appiah, a young medical officer who accepted posting to the Paga Hospital in the Kassena-Nankana West District.
The Minister, visibly impressed by the patriotism exhibited by the young female doctor, presented her with GH¢5,000 in cash immediately after she was introduced to him by Dr Braimah Baba Abubakari, the Upper East Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS).
Mr Akandoh met with Municipal and District Chief Executives (MDCEs) as part of a one-day working visit to the region.
The visit aimed to assess healthcare delivery and observe firsthand the living and working conditions of newly posted doctors.
During the meeting, he commended Dr Adu-Appiah for her courage and dedication, and charged Mr Stephen Aeke Akurugo, the DCE for the Kassena-Nankana West, along with the GHS management, to ensure that Dr Adu-Appiah was provided with the necessary comfort to deliver quality healthcare services.
He acknowledged that several districts remained without medical doctors, describing the situation as “unacceptable,” and called on all stakeholders to collaborate to improve the doctor-patient ratio in the region.
Addressing the urban-rural imbalance, Mr Akandoh noted that the Ahafo, Bono East, North East, Oti, Savannah, Upper East, Upper West, and Western North regions were significantly underserved compared to others.
He revealed that in 2024, only one person accepted posting to Ahafo, one to Bono East, one to Oti, three to the Upper East, two to the Upper West, and four to the Western North. “Nobody accepted postings to the North East and Savannah regions,” he lamented.
“It is a situation we must handle with the utmost seriousness. In 2025, I decided to concentrate on underserved areas and districts. I will not post medical doctors to UGMC, Korle-Bu, or Komfo Anokye while deprived areas remain without doctors,” the Minister stated.
He further highlighted the disparity in distribution saying, “About 50 per cent of the medical doctors in this country are in Accra, while the remaining 15 regions share the other 50 per cent. If you combine the Ashanti and Greater Accra regions, they house 70 per cent of our doctors. This is how grievous the situation is.”
Mr Akandoh noted that the current strategy of prioritizing deprived regions created tension, as some doctors have refused their postings, and issued a stern caution to new doctors: “It is either you report, or we have no work for you.”
Dr Adu-Appiah, accompanied by Dr Didier Oteng, the Medical Superintendent of the Paga Hospital, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the warm reception she received encouraged her to accept the posting.
“Secondly, the Regional Director promised to support me further my education in a specialty area within the shortest possible time. That encouraged me because I have a particular interest in anesthesia,” she said.
She also expressed gratitude to Dr Oteng for his support and paid tribute to her mentor, “To my mentor, Dr Frank Serebour, I called him concerning the posting, and he reassured me that everything would be fine. That encouragement from someone I look up to in the medical field was truly life-changing.”
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/ Christabel Addo