Ghana Wellness and Health Care Foundation launches award scheme to tackle Healthcare Brain Drain

Rising rate of health professionals leaving the shores of Ghana has become a bane to the Ghana Health Service owing to its ramifications to the country.

Data from the Ghana Registered Nurses' and Midwives' Association reveals that nearly 4,000 nurses left the country and emigrated to the West in 2022. It pegs the current emigration rate at about 500 every month.

This exodus by the health workers has raised alarm among authorities as it is significantly causing what experts describe as brain drain on health care delivery in the country.

It is against this background that the Wellness and Health Care Foundation is instituting an Awards Scheme to motivate Health Professionals and acknowledge their dedication to health care delivery.

A Resident Anaesthesiologist at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr. Esther Neene Agor Ninyeh revealed that the situation is so serious such that her colleague doctors are also joining the fray.

She said the situation would require incentivised schemes and motivation for Health Professionals in order to curb the growing brain Drain.

Dr. Agor Ninyeh was speaking at the Launch of Wellness and Health Care Delivery Awards in Accra on Monday under the theme: “Ghana Beyond Aid: The Role of the Wellness and Health Care Sector”.

She commended the Foundation for the initiative stressing that it would encourage health Professionals and help reduce the rate at which health Professionals travel abroad in search of greener pastures.

The Anesthesiologist therefore called on government to put measures in place to deal with the menace.

The Project Manager of Wellness and Health Care Foundation, Mr. OB Sinachy on his part said wellness and good health care delivery is a pre- requisite towards attaining universal health care coverage in Ghana.

He said it is the reason the Foundation has instituted this award scheme to motivate health Professionals and Health centres adding that their motivation could lead to the attainment of the universal health care coverage.

Touching on the theme of the Awards Mr. Sinachy explained that the objective of the Wellness and Health Care Awards is to boost the economic development of the country.

“It is our belief that our award to the health Professionals and Health Centres would give them a brand mileage to attract investors to come and invest into our health sector”, the Project Manager of the Foundation emphasized.

He added that as a result of the Awards “Tourists are likely to come into the country and spend monies to shore up our cedi”.

Mr. Sinachy later appealed to government and Corporate Ghana to support this initiative in order to curtail the brain Drain menace.

A Member of the Awards Committee, Dr. Alberta Ama Atta Ackon said top 3 Health Professionals and Top 3 Health Facilities will be selected by the public across the country after which the best will be selected and awarded.

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