A Ghanaian medical doctor has told his colleagues in the United Kingdom that Ghana is suffering from the migration of health professionals to developed countries like the UK, US, and Canada. Ghana reportedly spends more than £4m a year on medical training, but currently there are only 1,500 doctors serving a population of 20 million. Dr. Victor Dedjoe, who is the General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association, was speaking at a conference in Manchester in the UK. He told the British Medical Association that the exodus of medics had become so bad that it was now undermining Ghana’s health system. He said, "The migration of doctors has a tremendous effect on the successful implementation of the health insurance scheme we are introducing. We just do not have enough doctors, but you can't blame them." Dr. Dedjoe who was given a standing ovation after his delivery conceded that Ghanaian doctors are poorly paid and therefore, that makes them easy prey for poachers who can offer better remuneration. He made a revelation to the gathering saying "two recruitment agencies have set up in my country enticing health workers abroad with all kinds of packages. I do not think we should prevent people from working elsewhere, that is their right, but at least if these agencies were not there it would be [up to them].” He also said, "we need more spending on health and education [in African nations] and help from developed countries to stop the migration." In his contribution, the chairman of the British Medical Association (BMA), Mr. James Johnson who invited Dr. Dedjoe to the conference, said since he visited Ghana last November he has taken every possible opportunity to raise awareness of the skills drain and the calamitous effect it is having on the poorest countries of Africa and Asia. He said, "since 1999, Ghana has lost more nurses than it has been able to train - to the UK, USA and Canada. This isn't live aid, it is reverse aid." Mr. Johnson suggested that the answer to the problem lay in richer countries ensuring they had enough health workers so there was not a vacuum effect whereby doctors from developing countries ended up working in richer nations despite ethical recruitment policies. "We are not talking about closing our doors to overseas colleagues. International exchange and collaboration must continue. Two way movement and migration is a good thing. But the rape of the poorest countries must stop." He added. Source: bbc.co.uk