The Ministry of Health (MoH) has dismissed claims that Ghana is training medical doctors and subsequently abandoning them due to delays in recruitment and employment, insisting that established procedures are in place to ensure their smooth transition into the country’s health workforce.
The Ministry said the claims circulating on social media did not reflect the processes governing the recruitment, housemanship and permanent employment of newly qualified medical doctors and dentists.
In a press release signed by its Spokesperson, Tony Goodman, Esq., the Ministry explained that the recruitment and posting of house officers were jointly undertaken by the Medical and Dental Council (MDC) and the Ministry of Health.
It stressed that newly qualified doctors were not left at home for years awaiting placement for housemanship, disclosing that three batches of medical doctors had commenced their housemanship at different times in 2026, depending on their graduation dates and completion of the required procedures.
The Ministry explained that housemanship was a mandatory two-year practical training programme designed to equip newly qualified doctors and dentists with the requisite clinical experience before permanent employment.
According to the Ministry, the first year of the programme was undertaken at secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities, while the second year provided trainees with exposure and practical experience at the district level.
It further clarified that financial clearance for the entire two-year housemanship programme was secured before the commencement of the first year, making separate financial clearance unnecessary for doctors progressing into the second year.
On permanent employment, the Ministry said it had an established arrangement with the Ministry of Finance to facilitate the immediate transition of doctors and dentists from their second year of housemanship into permanent employment as Medical Officers and Dentists.
It disclosed that it was currently recruiting the 36th Batch of Medical Officers and Dentists and preparing to commence recruitment for the 37th Batch, whose members had recently obtained permanent registration from the Medical and Dental Council of Ghana.
The Ministry identified the introduction of vacancy-based recruitment as another significant improvement in its employment process, explaining that staffing gaps were assessed across health facilities before vacancies were declared for qualified and eligible applicants.
It said the approach ensured that recruitment and placement were guided by actual staffing needs and approved staffing norms rather than indiscriminate postings, adding that the policy was intended to promote transparency, accountability and equitable distribution of medical personnel across the country.
The Ministry also rejected suggestions that medical education and housemanship in Ghana were unregulated or disorganised, noting that medical training, professional registration, accreditation and housemanship were subject to regulatory oversight by the Medical and Dental Council.
It maintained that the Council enforced the relevant admission, accreditation and professional requirements to ensure that medical practitioners met the necessary standards before entering professional practice.
The Ministry acknowledged that investment in training medical doctors must be accompanied by opportunities for them to serve the country, particularly in underserved and deprived communities where their services were most needed.
It said increasing the number of trained doctors alone was insufficient without sustainable mechanisms for recruitment, equitable distribution, deployment and retention of medical professionals.
The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to working with the Ministry of Finance, the Medical and Dental Council, relevant agencies and other stakeholders to strengthen the recruitment process and ensure that the country’s investment in medical education translated into improved healthcare delivery.
The Ministry urged the public and media practitioners to verify information and understand the processes involved before drawing conclusions, while emphasising that constructive criticism remained welcome when informed by accurate facts.
By: Daniel Orlando/newsalertgh.com
