The President of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Professor Ernest Yorke, says the low number of newly employed doctors reporting for duty at deprived districts was a result of the lack of an incentive package for them.
He said even though an incentive package was approved many years ago to support rural service for such doctors, the government has failed to roll it out.
Speaking in a radio interview with Joy FM on Wednesday [Dec 3, 2025], Prof Yorke said the Ministry of Health has a policy document meant to guide support for doctors posted to hard-to-reach areas, but the policy has not been put to use.
“There is a document at the Ministry of Health as we speak called the Deprived Area Incentive Document, and it is gathering dust,” he said.
He explained that the package was prepared to address the disadvantage doctors face in rural communities.
The Ministry of Health published the nationwide posting list for new medical officers in the first week of November 2025, announcing the deployment of hundreds of doctors to various districts.
Many of the newly appointed doctors have not reported for duty as of now, raising concerns about staffing levels at district facilities.
Professor Yorke said that out of 463 doctors posted, only 158 had reported to their stations, representing about 34 per cent.
He said some regions had no arrivals at all.
According to him, the problem is not a lack of interest in service but long-standing structural challenges. These include limited accommodation, poor roads, unreliable internet and the loss of "locum" income [part time work] which many junior doctors depend on in urban centres.
He acknowledged that doctors have a moral duty to serve, yet stressed that moral appeals alone cannot resolve the situation.
“We are calling our members to continue to sacrifice, but we are saying that support their acceptance,” he said.
His comment followed a directive from the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh asking posted doctors to report to their duty stations within the next one week after the Ministry observed widespread non-reporting since the November postings.
Professor Yorke said the way forward requires both moral persuasion and practical support.
“The chicken and egg situation goes both ways. It can be an incentive leading to the sacrifice, or both at the same time. And I will go for both at the same time,” he said.
He urged the government to activate the Deprived Area Incentive Document and provide clear information on how it will work.
He said the GMA is ready to work with the Ministry of Health, the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons and other bodies to improve conditions in rural postings.
He added that fair access to healthcare should guide national policy.
