By Nathaniel Nartey
The African Center for Health Policy Research and Analysis says Doctors and Nurses should not be isolated in the phenomenon of brain drain where Professionals migrate to Europe and other Developed Countries for greener pastures.
This is because graduates from various sectors also aspire to go abroad to work and not only those in the health sector.
Executive Director of the Health Think Tank, Dr Thomas Anaba disagrees with the perception that Doctors and Nurses who seek greener pastures abroad are unpatriotic. This follows the Government’s renewed commitment to improve the conditions of Service of Doctors and Health Workers in the country to avoid brain drain.
He told Nathaniel Nartey that Doctors and Nurses will continue to seek greener pastures abroad because the UK, USA and Saudi Arabia which are the top three destinations for Ghanaian Healthcare Workers have Agencies in the country recruiting individuals in the sectors to those countries where working conditions are better than Ghana.
”As for brain drain, whatever conditions we put in place (in Ghana) we will still get people leaving the country because the pay and conditions out there is always attractive”
”On the severity of the issue on the country’s Healthcare Sector, Dr. Anaba said “so far as I know, withing Tamale alone, I know of 4 Doctors who have left the country this year””
He went on to say that ” there are now even organizations that have recruits within Ghana setting exams for doctors and nurses to leave the country and I can tell you that I lost a staff from my hospital because of those lucrative conditions”
He said “its an issue of survival and so anyone so says doctors who move out are unpatriotic, I disagree. How about the engineers and others who also move out. They shouldn’t isolate doctors and nurses alone to say they are unpatriotic”.