Quest to export nurses to UK for cash is a misplaced priority – Minority

Ranking Member on Parliament’s Health Committee, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh says the government’s quest to send nurses to the United Kingdom is totally misplaced.

He contends that even though government aims at raking in some economic benefits the timing is wrong considering the nurse-to-patient ratio in the country.

Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman Manu has disclosed that there is an ongoing bilateral discussion between the Government of Ghana and the British Government to send Ghanaian trained Nurses to the United Kingdom (UK) in exchange for financial considerations.

The Minister, who doubles as the MP for Dormaa Central constituency made this known today, Monday, December 5, on the Floor of Parliament during the 2023 Budget debate on health.

“We are engaging with the government of the United Kingdom, and we are just about to sign a memorandum of agreement after cabinet approval to begin to send nurses for training and work there and come back home after three years.

“Ghana is going to benefit from the little money that the UK government will pass on. For every single nurse that goes away, when we finish the agreement, it is likely we will get over 1000 pounds to come and support the health system in Ghana. ”

But in an interview with Starr News, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh who’s also the Member of Parliament for Juaboso, said the government must first think about how to ensure there are adequate health professionals to take of the health needs of Ghanaians.

“The health of the people is paramount, let’s look at how we can get health professionals to take care of our people then the exportation of nurses is a secondary matter. In principle, I’m not against it. But I’m against it when we don’t have enough, we have a high attrition rate but we are thinking and planning toward exporting those in the system. Why will you be discussing the exportation of health professionals when indeed you have not fulfilled the fundamental needs of the health sector in this country,” he asked.