The Health Committee of Parliament has admonished the Ministry of Finance to release funds for the recruitment of health professionals.
The Committee raised concerns over the about 1,000 unemployed doctors, more than 48,000 nurses, and thousands of pharmacists across the country who have not been posted.
The Chairman of the Committee, Dr. Mark Kurt Nawaane, who made the appeal, said it was important that the government take this step to increase the number of professionals to meet the growing demand of Ghanaians.
This was after the Committee had paid a visit to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital on September 3 and the Greater Accra Regional Hospital on September 4.
During the two separate visits, it emerged that there was inadequate staffing at the facilities, a situation that was hampering the delivery of quality healthcare.
Dr. Nawaane was optimistic that the increase in spending on healthcare would generate significant returns for the country.
“Shortage of staff, I think, is nationwide, and we will continue to talk to the Minister of Finance [Ato Forson]. That problem is not with the Ministry of Health; it is with the Ministry of Finance, where we have about 1,000 doctors at home, over 48,000 nurses at home, 1,000 pharmacists at home and Allied health scientists, who are also at home,” he said.
“We will continue to work hard to ensure to get the Ministry of Finance understands that investment in health will yield about nine or ten times, and so we need to spend more on health,” he stressed.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
