THE LEADER of Ghana's medical students last week called on government to increase spending on doctors - or see more of them drop out or go overseas.
Speaking at the Press Centre in Accra, John H. Amuasi, President of the Federation of Ghana Medical Students Associations, made a direct link between lack of funding and the brain-drain of health professionals.
Mr. Amuasi claimed that some 3,200 doctors have been trained in Ghana since 1962.
But now only 1,600 actually work in the country - including foreign trained and expatriate medics.
"A melange of in-training and post-training problems contribute to 'the exodus of doctors from the country," he said.
He highlighted medical colleges without enough lecturers and student accommodation; and the lack of housing and poor salaries for junior doctors.
It takes eight years to become a fully qualified doctor in Ghana: four years earning a basic degree in Human Biology; three years 'clinical,' resulting in a master's degree; and then a final year as a houseman or intern.
Mr. Amuasi said medical students face hardship at all stages. Medical schools are in crisis.
Since 1962 the number of students has gone up over 100 per cent - without parity in funding. So there is understaffing, says Mr. Amuasi, with class sizes of between 60 and 150.
Lecturers are underpaid and have to combine teaching with their work as doctors.
There are also accommodation issues. A hostel project on hold since the 1980s at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) was completed last year - but only because clinical training could not start otherwise.
That situation threatens to repeat itself at teaching hospitals in Korle-bu, Accra and Komfo-Anokye, Kumasi - unless housing is finished. Medical students also receive inadequate loans, added Mr. Amuasi.
They find it hard to buy necessary books and equipment. And students from the School of Medicine and Health Services in Tamale face particular problems.
There is no teaching hospital in the city so they receive clinical training at Korle-bu or Komfo-Anokye. Their acommodation in Accra is a total of three hours driving time from Korle-bu.
The result of all these problems, said Mr Amuasi, is that many students want to leave medicine - for administration, accounting, law and even professional soccer.
These are people, he said, who have a 'patriotic consciousness' and desire to participate 'meaningfully, purposely, actively in national and international health affairs'. Should they decide to struggle on, the difficulties continue.
After qualifying, new doctors suffer an 'outrageously low basic salary' and delays in receiving extra duty allowance, plus a lack of accommodation and efficient transport.
