Coronavirus: We have the space to employ more doctors - Mahama

Former President John Dramani Mahama has suggested there is space to increase the number of health personnel in the country.

Mr. Mahama, in a Facebook live address on Thursday evening, disclosed a new NDC administration would look to expand training for doctors in particular at the University of Health and Allied Sciences and the University of Development Studies.

“We have the possibility and we have the plan, if we get elected, to look at the University of Health and Allied Sciences and expand the training of medical professionals in those institutions.”

According to him, his administration would “expand the numbers of doctors that we are able to train at the University of Development Studies.

Mr. Mahama also proposed fast-tracked medicine courses from biomedical students.

“We have the biomedical science students who can transition to do a medical degree in four years so if we get some of these biomedical students onto a fast-track medical degree, we can turn out several more doctors than we currently doing.”

Currently, the ratio of doctors per population in 2016 was one doctor to 8,481 persons; well below the World Health Organisation’s standards of 1 physician per 1,000 population.

On a regional basis, the Upper East Region’s ratio was one doctor to 25,878 persons.

In the Western Region, the ratio is one doctor to 20,659 persons.

But Mr. Mahama says his administration would expand the training of doctors in Ghana to address critical deficits in the country’s healthcare sector upon a return to power.