Faculty Chair, Family Medicine at the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons (GCPS); Dr. Kwasi Hanson has lamented the emerging trend where freshly trained doctors remain unemployed at home.
Dr. Hanson who spoke to rawgist.com’s Bernard Buachi on the sidelines of a lecture series and brainstorming session of over one hundred family doctors drawn from the northern sector of the country, explained that the country’s health is suffering as a result of poor prioritization.
“Some doctors after their housemanship are staying home unemployed. Why are we spending so much money to train doctors we cannot employ simply because of the way we prioritize in this country. It’s not fiction; it’s the reality on the ground. And yet we don’t have doctors in a lot of places”.
“If you buy one v8 engine and buy fuel for it, what is the benefit for the nation compared with buying a smaller engine and freeing the excess money to train medical practitioners?”, he queried.
Dr. Hanson who also delivered a lecture highlighted the importance of Family Physicians to the country’s health sector.
“Family physicians can help to cut cost because they are gate keepers and can handle close to 80% of all problems and so referrals to other specialists are reduced.”
He also explained the importance of Family doctors to the success of the capitation concept being introduced by the National Health Insurance Scheme as “they cut across all major specialties”.
He however lamented challenges hampering the training of Family Physicians in Ghana. “It’s difficult to get sponsors to pay Doctors’ fees. Also, there are very few trainers and not enough accredited facilities with the requisite manpower to enhance training”, he explained.
He called on government and other entities to be prepared to sponsor Family physicians and create a conducive atmosphere for them to work.
