Mass exodus of health professionals: Parliament urges urgent action to reduce phenomenon

Dr Nana Ayew Afriyie, the Chairman of the Health Committee of Parliament, Saturday expressed concern over the low budgetary allocation to the health sector for staff salaries and other compensations.

That, he explained, was a worry to the sector as it impeded the training and retention of the health workforce to deliver on their mandate.

Dr Afriyie said this on the floor of Parliament while contributing to a debate in line with the approval of the Ministry of Health’s 2024 budget allocation.

The House approved GH¢15.2 billion for the Ministry to cater for its services in the ensuing year.

“Mr Speaker, the Ministry has been allocatedGH¢15.2 billion. Out of this amount, GH¢8.7 billion was allocated for compensation. Almost 70 per cent goes to human resources and compensation,” he said.

“ If the health sector continues to spend more than 70 per cent of its budget on human resources, then we are going nowhere.”

“Also, it is interesting to note that there is an interesting revelation as far as attrition is concerned because health professionals are leaving and so the Ministry should be up and doing with its clearance to recruit new staff”.

Dr Afriyie, also the New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament for Effiduase-Asokore, therefore, called for prioritising the sector’s budgetary allocation, as well as measures to reduce the high attrition rate.

In 2024, the Ministry of Health would, among other goals, enhance the training, deployment, and retention of the health workforce through labour market analysis.

It would also focus on the local production of anti-snake venom and other vaccines, with the newly created National Vaccine Institute as its first step towards local vaccine production.

Per the Health Committee’s report presented to Parliament, the Ministry aims to complete and commission ongoing capital projects in 2024.

Source: GNA