The Deputy Minister for Health, Prof. Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah, has begun a push to address the uneven distribution of medical doctors across the country, starting with a working visit to the Northern Region where only 18 out of 25 newly posted doctors have reported for duty.
At the Northern Regional Health Directorate, she met with the Regional Health Director, Dr Chrysantus Kubio, and staff during a durbar to assess the situation on the ground. The visit, she said, was to confirm whether doctors assigned to the region had taken up their posts and to discuss practical steps to retain them.
“We want to have at least two doctors in every district so there will be no disparity among regions and districts,” she told health officials.
Figures from the Directorate show that while 25 doctors were posted to the region, seven have yet to report. Officials cited inadequate accommodation and limited incentives as some of the reasons doctors are reluctant to accept or remain in postings in the north.
Prof. Ayensu-Danquah noted that more than 80 per cent of the country’s doctors are concentrated in Accra and Kumasi, leaving northern regions particularly underserved. She appealed to regional authorities to improve support systems and working conditions to make postings outside the major cities more attractive.
Beyond staffing, she stressed that reducing maternal mortality remains a top priority. She disclosed that the Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has tasked her to lead interventions aimed at cutting maternal deaths by half by the end of 2026, with a focus on underserved regions.
The Deputy Minister also outlined ongoing reforms in the health sector, including the Ghana Medical Care initiative and the Free Primary Healthcare policy, which is expected to be launched in April. She said efforts are underway to retool health facilities nationwide to improve service delivery and the quality of care.
Her visit continued at the Northern Regional Coordinating Council, where she met with the Regional Minister, Ali Adolf G. John.
He assured her that his office would not interfere in the posting of health workers and called for better-equipped facilities and adequate staffing to support quality healthcare delivery in the region.
The visit forms part of broader efforts by the Ministry of Health to close regional gaps in healthcare staffing, strengthen health systems and improve outcomes, particularly for mothers and children in hard-hit areas.
