Employ nurses to fill gap created by exodus — Ashanti Regional Health Director
The Ashanti Regional Director of Health, Dr Emmanuel Tinkorang, has suggested to the government to recruit nurses to fill the huge gap left by the departure of these health professionals from the country.
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He expressed concern that while the departure of some nurses to seek greener pastures had created gaps and inadequate nurses in health facilities, not much had been done to fill those gaps, despite having many unemployed nurses.
Speaking at the launch of 2024 Nurses and Midwives Week in the Ashanti Region, yesterday, the Regional Director of Health called on the government to take pragmatic steps in recruiting nurses currently awaiting posting.
"Why would we be crying for a shortage of nurses while we have nurses staying in the house after school for over four years? We cannot be complaining while there are solutions available to the problem," he stated.
Solution
Dr Tinkorang further suggested that the salaries for the nurses who were employed but have left to seek greener pastures should be used to employ new nurses to fill the gap.
"As a country, we must look at possible ways to recruit these nurses and one of the ways to do this is by using the salaries of nurses who have travelled out of the country.
“Those nurses were taking salaries before leaving, so what happens to those salaries since they are not working in the country anymore?" he asked.
Specialised facilities
On health infrastructure development and access to quality health services, Dr Tinkorang revealed that all new hospitals built in the region, especially the Fomena Hospital, would be operationalised as specialist hospitals to improve health care in the region.
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"To ensure universal coverage as this year's theme implies, all newly established hospitals in the region are being converted into specialist hospitals. For example, the Fomena Hospital will have specialists to attend to gynaecological cases in or to reduce maternal and child mortality," he added.
Data
Data from the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association indicate that experienced nurses are leaving the country in their hundreds, citing, for example, that in January 2024, 732 nurses left the shores of Ghana.