The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has outlined a renewed government focus on improving healthcare access in rural and underserved communities, starting with a major redistribution of newly trained doctors to district health facilities nationwide.
Speaking at the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) on Wednesday, November 5, the Minister revealed that the posting process had commenced for 700 junior medical doctors, with a significant majority expected to serve outside major cities. He indicated that the initiative forms part of the government’s broader strategy to reduce healthcare gaps between urban and rural areas.
“Our commitment is to strengthen healthcare delivery everywhere — not only in Accra and Kumasi,” he said. “Districts are in urgent need of doctors, and this effort ensures that every Ghanaian, regardless of location, has fair access to medical care.”
He noted that more than 80% of doctors are currently concentrated in the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions, creating challenges for health facilities in smaller towns and rural communities. The redistribution, he stressed, is designed to balance the system and support frontline healthcare delivery across the country.
Alongside the posting reforms, the Health Minister announced renewed efforts to equip hospitals and health centres with critical medical equipment. As part of that agenda, the Ministry donated three anaesthetic machines to the UGMC and directed their immediate installation.
“This is only the beginning,” Mr. Akandoh assured stakeholders. “We will continue retooling health facilities to ensure doctors across the country have the resources they need to save lives.”
He welcomed engagement with the medical community, noting that ongoing consultations would help refine deployment strategies while maintaining fairness and service quality.
