Lack of Medical Specialists Affecting Quality Healthcare Delivery in Ghana, says Rector of Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons

Ghana’s health sector is experiencing a lack of medical specialists which is affecting the quality of healthcare delivery, according to the Rector of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, Prof. Richard Adanu.

He stated that there are not enough medical specialists in the system and those that are available are concentrated in certain areas to the detriment of rural communities. Furthermore, medical personnel who come to the college to specialize are opting for areas such as surgery, obstetrics, and gynecology, neglecting other crucial areas such as radiotherapy and medical laboratory.

Prof. Adanu disclosed that the college is working with relevant stakeholders to create faster routes for medical doctors to specialize in areas that some of them are avoiding. He mentioned that initiatives include helping doctors to begin the program right after they had finished their housemanship training.

Additionally, the level of equipment available in public hospitals is not adequate for specialist training, according to Prof. Adanu. He noted that there are cases where residents who are supposed to undergo rotation in the MRI or CT scan room are unable to do so because the machines may not be functioning throughout their period of attachment.

To address this issue, the college is collaborating with semi-private institutions such as the National Maritime Hospital and the Bank Hospital to use their modern equipment to train doctors in some specialist areas.

The establishment of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons in 2003 by an Act of Parliament was timely because it helped to slow down the brain drain of doctors