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Don’t leave Ghana; stay and help the people – Gov’t appeals to nurses
The Government of Ghana has appealed to nurses and other health professionals not to leave Ghana to other countries to seek greener pastures.
Presidential Advisor on Health, Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare has told the nurses that Ghanaians are looking up to them to meet their health needs in the country hence they should stay.
His comments come at a time the General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Dr Titus Beyuo earlier revealed that medical doctors and nurses are leaving the country in droves.
Dr Beyuo said brain drain has returned to the medical profession in Ghana.
Speaking on the New Day show on TV3 Wednesday May 11, Dr Beyuo said “…as we speak, doctors, nurses are leaving this country in droves, brain drain has returned in full swing.
“I know that because I am the General Secretary of the GMA, I wont give you figures immediately,” he said when asked by host Roland Walker to mention how many have so far left the country.
He added “But I can give you some examples, I will give you a unit in one hospital I won’t name, a big hospital in Accra, from January till now, five doctors have left that unit
“We need to do something about it deliberate in this country.”
Addressing nurses and other health professionals during the International Nurses Day, in Accra on Thursday May 12, Dr Nsia Asare said “I think the unethical way that the developed countries are trying to take our scarce health resources of this country is not the right thing to do. Ghana, like other developing counties, is seeing an increase in migration of our professional nurses to high income countries like United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and other countries as a result of the global shortage of nurses, caused partly by the impact of the coronavirus.
“This trend is quite worrying and it amounts to massive public subsidy to the wealthier nations, so we are subsidizing their health care system, given the fact that nursing education in Ghana is is mainly publicly financed , it also threatens to worsen the nurse-patient ratio and for that matter our ability to accelerate our progress towards universal health coverage which is a top priority of this government .
“I know many of our professional nurses continue to yearn for greener pastures beyond the shores of Ghana. I wish to take this opportunity to encourage all of you to stay like us and to contained to the development of our country health sector. Bear in mind that Ghanaians are looking up to you in their quest to maintain their health.”
By Laud Nartey|3news.com|Ghana
The Dzidula Pink Foundation, a new organisation dedicated to cancer awareness, early detection, and patient support, has been officially launched in Accra, with a passionate call for national commitment to fighting the disease. The launch event, held last week Friday, carried the theme: “Beyond the diagnosis: A future of restoration, care and courage.”
Speaking at the event, Madam Abena Brigidi, founder and CEO of Nimed Capital Limited, emphasised that cancer remains one of the most devastating health challenges facing families across the country. “Cancer does not discriminate—it affects mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons. It drains families emotionally and financially, and behind every statistic is a human story and a future suddenly thrown into uncertainty,” she said.
Sharing her personal encounters with cancer, having lost both her husband and father to the disease, Madam Brigidi highlighted the emotional, financial, and physical scars left behind. “I stand here not just as a speaker, but as a witness to what cancer can take away,” she stated. “I have watched loved ones fight bravely, and I have felt the deep pain that loss leaves behind.”
She stressed that awareness and early detection are critical to reducing deaths, noting that many Ghanaians still lack access to proper screening, reliable information, and adequate treatment. She appealed to healthcare professionals, corporate institutions, policymakers, the media, and the general public to join hands in the fight. “Early detection saves lives. Your support today can lead to someone’s healing tomorrow,” she said.
Madam Brigidi further called for collective responsibility to sustain the foundation’s mission. “To our medical professionals, we need your expertise. To corporate partners, your resources. To the media, your voice. To policymakers, your support. And to the public, your compassion,” she urged. She also insisted that breast cancer awareness should not be limited to annual campaigns, saying, “Breast cancer awareness must not be seasonal.”
Mrs Diana Fafa Gozo, founder of the Dzidula Pink Foundation, shared her own cancer journey, describing the shock of diagnosis, the fear that followed, and the difficult path through treatment. Her experience transformed her pain into purpose and inspired her to create a foundation to ensure no cancer patient walks alone.
Mrs Gozo explained that many patients struggle not only with treatment costs but also with emotional resilience. She outlined the foundation’s initiatives, which include awareness and early detection campaigns, patient support funds, community outreach, and survival support circles. “This foundation is my offering of gratitude, courage, and compassion and a reminder that no one should walk the cancer journey alone,” she concluded.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) says it will deploy teams of Public Health Officers, members of its Sanitation Taskforce, and labourers, including sweepers and janitors, across all sub-metros to support the third National Sanitation Day exercise.
It explained that these teams will be equipped with waste collection trucks, tippers, and other tools to help with desilting, refuse collection, and transporting waste to approved disposal sites.
The AMA reminded residents that failing to comply with the sanitation directive or refusing to participate in communal labour is an offence.
It said offenders risk a fine of up to 100 penalty units, imprisonment between 30 days and six months, or both, with repeat offenders liable to additional daily penalties.
It urged all residents, traders, transport operators, market women, shop owners, landlords, tenants, and businesses to actively participate in the exercise.
The AMA said it counts on everyone’s collective responsibility to keep Accra clean, liveable, and resilient, especially as the city approaches Christmas and the New Year.
By: Jacob Aggrey
