GHANA: Create an enabling environment for medical professionals in the diaspora to come home.

A substantial number of first-generation Ghanaians in the diaspora are in retirement. Several of them would have loved to resettle back home in Ghana; however, concerns about health deliverability and safety/security have stymied their move.

Most of these baby boomers are enjoying their retirements through diverse means, including but not limited to social security, pension schemes, as well as through personal investments and fluid cash at commercial banks.

In the country’s formative years, medical schools in Ghana were fully funded by the government – tuition, boarding, lodging, stipend etc. – so qualified students could attend gratis.

For different reasons, emigration of Ghanaian medical doctors and indeed other professionals has seen geometric progressions since the early 1980s. It is roughly estimated that about 54% of Ghanaian-trained physicians ply their profession outside of Ghana.

Some of these practitioners who are now baby boomers have in one way or another expressed their willingness to relocate to Ghana to give back to their communities whence they emanated.

Amandla thinks it is an opportunity government should embrace.

Through innovative and creative ways, the government of Ghana could get its share of the pie from these retirees.

And once the healthcare system is improved (simultaneously with safety and security), a lot of Ghanaian retirees abroad would gleefully return home, infusing their investments abroad into the local economy.  Call it reverse remittance!

But the herculean task encountered by the few physicians and other professionals who had attempted to relocate is anchored in red-tapeism, unending bureaucracy, and outmoded processes designed to frustrate those whose services are needed most.

Amandla thinks it’s about time government streamlines the system to encourage the qualified, ready, and willing to go back home, not only to supplement the existential shortage of physicians, nurses, and related health care workers, but also to share their experiences and expertise with their compatriots in Ghana.

It must be understood and acknowledged that most of these highly trained medical officers do not necessarily need remuneration to serve the needy. Financial compensation is therefore the least of their concerns.

But they need to be recognized, acknowledged, and appreciated as such, as they strive to reach Abraham Maslow’s apex of his hierarchical pyramid.

Government could work through its various foreign missions to unearth qualified and interested parties willing to relocate to Ghana. Simultaneously, structures should be built to facilitate smooth relocation. Some could be visiting lecturers in academia or in hospitals when and where needed most.

In this era of information technology, recertification (examination, interview etc.) of those willing to go back could be effected effortlessly. There is absolutely no need for a physician who wants to relocate to travel to Ghana to be re-certified.

Further, it is far easier to validate the authenticity of a physician in a developed nation than in a developing nation.

While at it, Amandla would like to suggest that remuneration of local medical staff – and others such as teachers – posted to serve in rural areas should exceed those in urban areas.

This, we believe, would be a motivation to encourage fair distribution of medical personnel in the country.

Further, promotions must not necessarily be based solely on number of years served but rather on yearly reviews and assessment of productivity along the way and through a designed protocol. Attitudinal and human resources / interaction training should be an integral part of the process.

The attitude whereby a medical staff person thinks he/she is doing a favor in attending to a patient should be discouraged and shunned, as should the personal phone calls that are rampant in most government health facilities.  

“A healthy nation is a wealthy nation,” and Ghana is not wealthy, philosophically speaking! Ghana needs its medical staff in the diaspora more than they need Ghana. The country  can, however, reset its health needs through creative and innovative mindset.

 “A mind is a terrible thing to waste,” so says the slogan of the United Negro College Fund.