85% of medical Doctors in the northern region are in Tamale Teaching Hospital-Regional Health Director reveals
The Northern Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Abukari Abdulai has expressed concerns about the inadequate human Resource situation in the region. The region, he said, recorded some improvement within the year under review for all categories of staff due to the financial clearances granted by the government.
Twenty-seven (27) staff of the Ghana health service in the northern region have died during the year 2024. The region as at the end of 2024 he said had 375 medical doctors with 318 (85%) at the Tamale Teaching Hospital.
The region Dr Abukari explained currently has 57 medical doctors within the Ghana Health Service facilities which is an improvement from 50 medical doctors as at the end of the previous year of 2023.
Speaking at the 2024 annual performance review meeting in Tamale, Dr Abukari said, with a population of 2,580,880 people, the Doctor to Population ratio is about 1 Doctor to 6,882 compared with the national target of 1 Doctor to 7,500.
He stated that the region has achieved Nurse to Population Ratio which currently stands at 1 Nurse to 356 as against the National Target of 1 Nurse to 450.
He however, expressed worry that the right mix and equitable distribution is still a huge challenge the health directorate is trying to address.
He revealed that 24 of the service staff vacated the post and 5 resigned in 2023. The number of staff vacated posts increased to 30 and 4 resigned from the Service in 2024.
Efforts towards attracting more medical doctors to the region he assured are underway. The director encouraged Municipal and District Assemblies to support in attracting medical doctors with incentives and decent accommodation facilities.
One of the major issues confronting the region he observed is equitable distribution of Health Staff and the refusal of health staff in accepting postings to some districts in the region.
He appealed to health professionals, especially natives of the region to accept postings to any part of the region to ensure equity in rendering quality health services to the people.
Dr Abukari also appeals to stakeholders and the general Public to support the directorate through limiting their interference into the postings and transfers of Health Staff to ensure equity and maintain discipline as we work towards achieving Universal Health Coverage.
He reminded the people to remember that the Northern Region includes the other 10 districts located along the Eastern corridor in addition to the Tamale Metro, Sagnarigu Municipal as well as the other 4 districts in the western enclave of the region.
