The Ministry of Health has started a nationwide posting exercise to address the persistent shortage of doctors in rural and underserved districts across the country.
In a statement issued in Accra on November 3, 2025, and signed by Mr Tonny Goodman, Head of the Health Training Institution and Spokesperson for the Ministry, the Ministry said the exercise is part of government efforts to provide fair access to healthcare across all regions.
The statement urged newly recruited doctors to accept postings to regional and district hospitals where vacancies exist, saying the redistribution is needed to bridge the gap between urban and rural healthcare delivery.
“The Ministry of Health urges doctors to accept postings to the available vacancies at the various regions and district hospitals,” the statement said. It added that the initiative supports government’s plan to achieve universal health coverage.
The Ministry cautioned that all postings are being handled only through its official online recruitment portal. It warned that no individual or group has been authorised to collect money or influence placement decisions.
“Eligible doctors are therefore cautioned not to engage middlemen or pay any persons who promise to alter or fast-track their postings,” Mr Goodman stated.
He said the Ministry is working to make sure that every Ghanaian, regardless of location, has access to a qualified medical doctor.
Data from the Ministry’s National Surgical, Obstetric and Anaesthesia Plan (2023) show that about 42 per cent of Ghana’s doctors are based in the Greater Accra Region, while a combined 57.2 per cent serve within the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions.
This uneven distribution has left many northern and rural districts without enough medical staff, with some hospitals relying on a single medical officer to serve entire communities.
The Ghana Medical Association have long described the situation as unsustainable and called for a fairer deployment policy to strengthen rural healthcare delivery.
The Ministry encouraged all qualified doctors to visit its official website to complete their registration and confirm their postings before the deadline indicated on the portal.
