Government lacks funds to pay doctors – GMA

General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Dr Frank Serebour, has said the government’s decision to employ medical doctors and dentists under a quota system beginning next year is down to the lack of funds to employ the doctors being churned out by the various training institutions in the country.

According to him, the government must face that reality and find lasting solutions to the problem.

The Director General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare, has explained that under the new policy, doctors would have to apply to their respective regions before they can be engaged by the service.

“Our rural and deprived communities remain one of the priorities of this country. This explains why efforts are being made to ensure that each district has a functional hospital that befits its status.

"Unfortunately, it has been observed the most young medical officers and dentists are reluctant to accept posting to work in such needy areas after their housemanship. This year, we have started interviewing doctors; we are not posting them anymore. We are not going to sit in Accra again and post any doctor,” he said.

But speaking on this development on Tuesday in an interview with Chief Jerry Forson, host of Accra 100.5FM’s Ghana Yensom, Dr Serebour said: The government must come clear on this matter. This development is not because doctors don’t accept postings to rural communities. It is because the government doesn’t have money to employ and pay the number of doctors they churn out.

“As we speak today, there are a lot of doctors who have stayed home for one year without job and they are willing to serve the country irrespective the location and so what is the government saying? The issues have to do with finances; the government doesn’t have money to employ the doctors.”

He added: “We want the government to organise a stakeholder dialogue on the matter so that we can look at the matter dispassionately. The GMA will be meeting on Thursday on this matter and decide what to do going forward.”