Former Member of Parliament for Amenfi Central, Peter Yaw Kwakye-Ackah, has called on the government to scrap training allowances and fee subsidies for medical and nursing students, arguing that the state is “wasting money” on policies that are no longer yielding the intended results.
Speaking on Atinka TV’s Ghana Nie, hosted by Ama Gyenfa, the former MP said the current standoff—where a majority of newly posted doctors have refused to report to their assigned duty stations—demonstrates the need for a complete reset of Ghana’s health-sector training and posting regime.
Hon. Kwakye-Ackah’s comments come on the heels of an alarming report from the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, who revealed that seven out of every ten newly posted medical doctors have failed to report to their duty stations.
According to the minister, the situation is most critical in the Upper West and Upper East regions, where none of the newly assigned doctors had arrived as of Friday, November 28.
Hon. Kwakye-Ackah argued that neither the state nor taxpayers should be burdened with the responsibility of funding medical trainees who later decline postings, especially to underserved districts.
“Let’s come together and reset things in this country. Doctors should look after themselves in school, and after school they should look for work. If they think it’s not good for them, they can apply to work abroad,” – he said.
He insisted that if government wants to improve conditions in the sector, then it must simultaneously end the payment of allowances and fee support for medical and nursing students.
“If we are to provide amenities or increase salaries, then government should stop covering doctors’ or nurses’ allowances or fees. We are wasting money on certain areas,” he added.
He called on government to redirect funds used for training allowances into improving health facilities, especially in rural communities where staff shortages remain dire.
“Government should put money used in paying nurses’ and doctors’ allowances somewhere, and also stop paying for their fees. They should allow them to pay their own fees,” he said.
Ghana|Atinkaonline.com|Abeka Kangah Lordina
