Accept postings or face removal from payroll – Health Minister warns newly posted doctors

February 23, 2026

Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has urged newly posted medical doctors to rural areas to report to their posts or risk a removal from the government’s payroll by the end of February 2026.

He noted that although government acknowledges several concerns raised about working in rural areas, especially regarding living conditions of doctors, the solution to “the problem” requires a collective effort.

During a visit to the University of Ghana College of Health Sciences at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital over the weekend, Mintah Akandoh called on lecturers and medical trainers to motivate new doctors to consider positions in underserved regions, where doctor shortages are particularly severe.

“I think we must put our heads together to find a solution to this problem. I agree that there are genuine concerns, but our education is highly subsidized, even for fee-paying students. So, if the cocoa-producing farmers in my constituency, Sefwi Antobea, have been used to fund your education and you come and tell me that the place is a village, then I beg to differ,” he stated.

The Minister further announced an upcoming validation exercise at the end of February, which according to him, will assess compliance with posting requirements.

“By the end of February, we will do validation. If you have not reported, we will take your name out of the payroll,” he warned.

Mintah Akandoh reiterated that deploying healthcare professionals to rural areas is essential for achieving “equitable healthcare access” across the country.

Reports indicate that the Ministry of Health had secured financial clearance for about 800 medical doctors who completed their housemanship in 2024, to begin work with “immediate effect” to address critical shortages in rural and underserved districts.

However, Between December 2025 and February this year, about 70% of newly posted medical officers failed to report to their assigned districts, according to data from the Ghana Health Service (GHS).

The data reveals that out of 463 doctors deployed in late 2025, about 305 (66%) failed to report to their posts by mid-December, especially in the Northern, Oti, Upper East and Upper West regions. In the Upper West Region, 25 out of 32 doctors deployed refused their postings, while in the Oti Region, only 2 out of 25 doctors had reported for duty as at the beginning of February this year.