A private medical practitioner has argued that the financial burden placed on doctors who train outside the country, contributes to the poor health system in Ghana.
Dr Gilbert Ankrah says doctors who train outside will have to undertake an exam to be granted the license to practise medicine in Ghana.
This he explains, places a burden on the Ghanaian doctors who return from other parts of the world to invest their knowledge in Ghana.
“The exam they have to write costs about $700,” he told Accra-based Citi FM, Thursday.
In addition to that, Dr. Ankrah explainied, in order for the candidates to pass the exams they will have to undergo some courses that cost about $1000.
He argues that since the country didn’t really invest in the education of such persons it is unfair to place such financial burden on them for their desire to work in their home country.
This Dr Ankrah says, depletes the doctor-to-patient ratio in the country because such outside trained doctors will rather practise in the countries they trained in, or other countries where the system is not as stiff.
He added, another reason medical practitioners won’t practise in Ghana is the lack of adequate equipment and good conditions of service.
Citing his own experience, Dr Ankrah explained that the unfavourable situations in the public sector forced him to abandon practice in the Ghana and head for the United Kingdom.
“Building a house, paying the children’s fees and other thing were difficult,” he said.
He explained that after practicing outside Ghana for a while and getting enough funds to buy adequate equipment and get his feet of the ground, he returned home to set up his own private hospital.
These conditions Dr Ankrah says, force even the Ghana-trained doctors to abandon Ghana and seek jobs outside the country.
Read Full Story
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS