Bolgatanga, June 14, GNA - District Directors of Health Services (DDHS) at the weekend said the continuous exodus of the country's health personnel for greener pastures abroad was threatening the Health Sector. They observed that the mobility of trained health officials abroad continued unchecked for many years, putting enormous strain on the few personnel left thereby affecting health care delivery.
The group, which made the comments at its 12th annual congress in Bolgatanga, said the country has a ratio of one doctor to 12,000 people.
They said it was regrettable that there were still some districts in the country without hospitals and some hospitals without doctors. Dr Alexis Nang-Beifubah, chairman of the DDHS, said the significant role health personnel played in the country was sufficient reason for the authorities to take the health sector out of the Ghana Universal Salary Structure and give it a special salary package.
He urged the government to speed up negotiations on the two-year salary scheme for the health sector adding that the sector could collapse if problems were not solved as many of the staff were leaving abroad for greener pastures.
