Health Minister Warns Against Posting Irregularities as Ghana Inducts New Doctors and Tackles Rising Maternal Mortality

The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has issued a stern warning to health sector officials regarding the manipulation of staff postings, asserting that any official found tampering with approved deployments will face immediate removal from their position. This directive comes at a critical juncture for Ghana’s healthcare system, as the Ministry also grapples with sobering statistics showing that 986 pregnant women died across the country in 2024. During a tour of the Maternal Mortality Action and Response Programme, Deputy Minister for Health Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah highlighted that the national maternal mortality ratio currently stands at 235 deaths per 100,000 live births, emphasizing the urgent need for enhanced primary healthcare and better identification of high-risk pregnancies.

To address these systemic challenges, Minister Akandoh underscored the government's commitment to equitable healthcare access, particularly in underserved regions, through initiatives such as the Free Primary Healthcare Initiative and the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). He also addressed the progress of hospital projects under the Agenda 111 program and called for a strengthened partnership with the Catholic Church to expedite the operationalization of new healthcare facilities. This call for collaboration was welcomed by the President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, who endorsed the need for a unified approach to improve healthcare delivery nationwide.

Simultaneously, the Medical and Dental Council (MDC) is moving to bolster the quality and accountability of the medical workforce. The Council recently inducted 118 newly qualified doctors and dentists, granting them provisional registration to begin their pre-registration practice. MDC Registrar Dr. Divine N. Banyubala announced several regulatory reforms, including the introduction of a Practitioner Verification System and a National Common Licensure Examination. These measures are designed to uphold professional ethics and patient safety standards as the new practitioners enter the field. Furthermore, Ghana is set to showcase its regulatory progress on the continental stage as it prepares to host the 28th Annual Scientific Conference of the Association of Medical Councils of Africa (AMCOA).

These multi-faceted developments—ranging from administrative discipline and workforce expansion to infrastructure improvements at major facilities like the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital—reflect a broader strategy to revitalize Ghana’s health sector. By enforcing transparency in postings and strengthening the pipeline of qualified medical professionals, the Ministry aims to reduce the maternal mortality rate and ensure that the benefits of the government's healthcare investments reach every corner of the country.