Healthcare delivery in Ghana is facing a major staffing crisis as most newly posted medical doctors continue to reject their assignments. In the Upper West Region, only seven of the 32 doctors posted for the 2025/2026 service year have reported, leaving 25 vacancies and worsening an already strained system.
The Upper West Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Joshephat Nuzagl, warned that the shortfall will severely affect care for nearly one million residents. The region currently has only 55 doctors in active service, resulting in a doctor-to-patient ratio of more than 1:18,000—far above international norms and far below what is needed for effective health delivery.
The latest posting cycle was expected to relieve this pressure by placing doctors across district and municipal facilities. Instead, the high refusal rate has left critical service areas understaffed, including emergency care, obstetrics, internal medicine and general practice. The regional health directorate is now appealing to the doctors who declined their postings to reconsider, stressing that their presence is vital.
This challenge has persisted for years. Northern regions, including the Upper West, have consistently struggled to attract and keep medical staff because of limited infrastructure, fewer opportunities for professional growth, inadequate equipment, and concerns about schooling and basic amenities for families. These structural barriers continue to widen the health equity gap between urban and rural Ghana.
The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has described national reporting rates as “not encouraging,” noting that seven out of every ten newly posted doctors have failed to assume duty. He has given all non-reporting doctors one more week to report, after which the ministry will begin a validation process. He stressed that postings will not be changed, as the government seeks to correct the severe imbalance in doctor distribution—nearly half of Ghana’s doctors currently serve in the Greater Accra Region.
To encourage compliance, the ministry is working with regional and local leaders, including MPs, district executives and traditional authorities, to provide support such as accommodation and community integration. Additional incentives are also being explored to help sustain the doctors’ service in these areas.
Despite these hurdles, the minister expressed confidence that the doctors will respond to the call to serve. The situation in the Upper West Region underscores the urgent need for structural reforms and targeted investments to make postings in deprived areas more viable.
The ongoing refusal of medical officers to take up their postings threatens the country’s broader goal of ensuring equitable access to essential health services. Addressing this crisis will require sustained commitment, coordinated action and a renewed focus on closing the persistent gap between Ghana’s urban and rural health systems.
Source: joynews.com