The Director of External Health Cooperation of the Health Ministry, Dr Hafiz Adam Tahir says it is high time society recognises the sacrifices of individual workers in the sector.

The officer who represented the Ministery at the maiden edition of the Ghana Medical Association's award night, further said the ministry is taking initiatives to decentralise the employment of medical officers.

"The ministry is taking initiatives to now decentralise employment of medical officers because we realised that 60% of doctors are in Accra and Kumasi and the rest of the nation is sharing the other 40% which is not good for us.

"We are putting in place some mechanisms to make sure that doctors accept to serve in the districts.
For instance, we have accepted that, if you accept to go to any deprived district, you only need to do two years after your housemanship and you will be qualified to benefit from a postgraduate scholarship,''
Dr Hafiz said.

He was speaking at the GMA Award ceremony sponsored by Tecno mobiles in Ho over the weekend.

He added that they have employed District Chief Executives and the assemblies to attract some of the doctors to be there by providing some amenities like accommodation.

According to him, due to these new policies, about 30 doctors are outside the country doing their specialisation and asked the members of GMA to get abreast with the new MoH policies with regards to the posting of doctors and other health professionals.

Dr Frank Serrbour said, attracting and retaining doctors in deprived areas is one of the key things that GMA has been pursuing.

''It is important to look at other regions that are deprived like the Volta and Oti areas. For us as an association, one of the key things we advocate for is that, wherever Ghanaians are, it is important as doctors we are also there to serve them. That is the direction we are going," he said.

He, however, stated that it is important to implement what agreement they have had with government over the years as far as deprived areas incentives are concerned.

''We have indicated that, for doctors and other health workers, at least when the person accepts those things, there should be accommodation for the person. There should be such a way that he knows after serving for some number of years, he can access his postgraduate education."

He also expressed his excitement over the Volta/Oti Region's decision taken to pay the 12-month allowances of people posted to these deprived areas but was quick to ask what happens beyond the 12 months and asked for measures to be put in order to ensure continuity.

Dr Kofi Effah was recognised as the best healthcare personality of the year sponsored by the North Tongu member of Parliament, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.

Awards were presented to 15 doctors and three health facilities.

Mr Ablakwa was also recognised for his immense contribution to the health sector in the region and the country at large.