Doctors to be employed under a quota system – GHS

Medical doctors and dentists will from next year be employed under a quota system being introduced by the Ghana Health Service (GHS).

Director-General of GHS, Dr. Anthony Nsiah-Asare, who announced this explained that newly-trained doctors will no longer be posted but apply to the regions and sail through an interview process for them to be engaged.

“It has been observed that most young medical doctors and dentists are reluctant to accept postings to work in such needy areas after their housemanship. On that note, this year, we’ve started interviewing doctors; we’re not posting them anymore and next year, we shall give quotas to regions,” he said.

Dr. Nsiah-Asare was addressing the 2017 graduation and oath swearing ceremony for the School of Medical Sciences, Dental School and the School of Veterinary Medicine at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi.

He said the government is focused on establishing and upgrading functional hospitals in each district of the country.

But this drive could be impeded by the reluctance of health professionals to accept postings to rural and deprived areas.

He believes the quota system of employment will curb the practice of refusing postings. “So if you want to work, you apply and go to the region you want to work.

We will not sit in Accra again and post any doctor,” said Dr. Nsiah-Asare. He noted the condition of service for medical professionals will prioritized and public-private partnership promoted for quality access to health services.

The KNUST graduated 205 medical doctors, 14 dentists and seven veterinary doctors.