Mahama: Africa Must Act Now to Stop Health Worker Exodus (Ghana Rolls Out Medical Trust Fund)
President John Mahama has told African governments to do something about the growing number of skilled health workers leaving the continent. He says this is putting a strain on health systems across Africa. At the 66th Annual Conference of the West African Association of Surgeons in Accra, he stressed the importance of improving working conditions, career paths, professional recognition, and the overall environment to keep health workers in the country while also bringing in skilled professionals from other countries. He said again that Ghana is committed to making sure everyone has access to good healthcare and financial protection so that illness doesn’t push families into poverty. He also announced the creation of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund to help treat priority non-communicable diseases like cancer, chronic kidney disease, and heart disease, as well as to train specialist doctors. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Minister of Health, agreed with these worries, saying that money problems often delay care and make outcomes worse. He also talked about what the government is doing to help, such as providing free primary healthcare for early detection, strengthening the National Health Insurance Scheme, and hiring more health workers. He stressed that long-term healthcare needs both money and people.
