President John Dramani Mahama has expressed concern over the increasing migration of skilled health professionals from West Africa, warning that the trend is placing significant strain on already fragile health systems across the sub-region.
Speaking at the 66th Annual Conference of the West African College of Surgeons (WACS) in Accra, the President described the situation as a major challenge that requires deliberate, practical, and sustained solutions.
He stressed that addressing the growing exodus of health workers must go beyond rhetoric, urging governments to improve conditions of service, remuneration, and working environments to encourage the retention of skilled professionals.
President Mahama also called for the establishment of structured mechanisms to engage health workers in the diaspora, noting that their expertise and experience remain crucial to national and regional development.
According to him, retaining qualified personnel is essential to ensuring timely access to quality healthcare, particularly in surgery and other specialist services that are critical to saving lives.
The President reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening surgical care and specialist training in Ghana and across West Africa, describing the work of surgeons as vital to public health delivery and national development.
He further commended volunteer surgeons for their humanitarian services across the country and assured them that the government would settle all outstanding financial obligations owed to them.
