The Ministry of Health has announced plans to deploy more than 700 medical doctors to districts outside the Greater Accra Region in a major move to correct the uneven distribution of healthcare professionals across Ghana.
Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh revealed the policy during the Ministry’s Accountability Series held in Accra on Monday, December 1, 2025.
Speaking to journalists, the Minister said President John Dramani Mahama has personally directed that newly trained and available doctors be sent to areas with the greatest need, particularly district hospitals and health centres outside the national capital.
“We are distributing not less than 700 medical doctors across the length and breadth of this country. The President has directed that we send these doctors to where they are needed most, especially the districts,” Mr Akandoh stated.
He disclosed that nearly 50 per cent of Ghana’s doctors are currently concentrated in Greater Accra, a situation he described as a major barrier to equitable healthcare delivery nationwide.
The Minister appealed to the affected doctors to accept the postings in good faith, stressing that the policy is not punitive but aimed at achieving fairness in the distribution of health personnel.
“I appeal to the medical doctors we are posting not to see this policy as punishment but as an attempt at equitable distribution of the workforce we have. Government will also ensure a conducive environment for you to deliver your work,” he assured.
Mr Akandoh further highlighted the poor state of medical equipment in most health facilities outside the capital, noting that the last comprehensive retooling exercise was undertaken during the first term of former President John Dramani Mahama.
“Our status of medical equipment in our facilities is very dire. Since the last retooling under H.E. John Dramani Mahama, our health facilities have been suffering,” he said.
As part of the government’s Free Primary Health Care initiative, the Ministry intends to re-equip primary health facilities with essential diagnostic and treatment tools to complement the new staffing policy.
“The health sector is not just the building but also the tools and the personnel,” the Minister emphasised.
The redeployment and retooling efforts are expected to significantly improve access to quality healthcare in rural and deprived communities when fully implemented in 2026.