The Ghana Medical Association and the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health have confirmed reports that over 1,000 junior doctors have been rendered jobless after they completed their housemanship.
The affected doctors are reportedly now unemployed because the Ministry of Finance has not given the financial clearance for them to be given permanent jobs due to the revenue mobilisation challenges the government is having.
Speaking in a TV3 interview monitored by GhanaWeb, a member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, Dr. Sebastian Ngmenenso Sandaare, said that the development was unfortunate because the country is in dire need of doctors but they are now being sent home because there is no money to employ them.
“More than thousand 1000 young doctors, who have finished their training, who have finished their house job, who should be working to save lives are sitting at home unemployed.
“I think that it is a serious issue that as a country, as a people, we have to address. You don’t finish house job and sit at home, that is not allowed,” Dr. Sandaare, who is the Member of Parliament for Daffiama/Bussie/Issa Constituency, said.
The President of the Ghana Medical Association, Dr. Justice Yankson, also said that the association is gravely concerned about the situation and is working with the stakeholders involved to address it.
“It’s something that is of concern to us and we have been working with the Ministry of Health and Finance to find a way out of the unfortunate arrangements in place currently. It all has to do with the issue of financial clearance and processes they will have to go through,” he noted.
Dr. Yankson added that the young doctors are getting frustrated and if the situation is not resolved, most of them will also join the long list of medical professionals who are leaving the country.