Ghana to Decentralise Medical Education, Boost Doctor Numbers Nationwide

The government is moving to decentralise and expand medical education across Ghana as part of efforts to address the critical shortage of doctors relative to the nation's population. Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu made this announcement whilst commissioning a new hostel facility at Wisconsin International University College in Feyiase, Ashanti Region, stating that spreading medical training beyond traditional centres is essential to meeting Ghana's healthcare demands.

Currently, Ghana has significantly more nurses distributed throughout the country than doctors, creating an imbalance in healthcare provision. By expanding access to medical education in various regions, the government aims to deploy more doctors to underserved communities and reduce pressure on major teaching hospitals. "This will help us get more doctors across the country," the Minister stated, emphasising the need for geographic distribution of medical professionals.

The decentralisation drive mirrors ongoing reforms in legal education, which the NDC government has already undertaken. Mr Iddrisu explained that by removing barriers to entry and creating new training institutions, medical school admissions are expected to rise significantly, similar to the expansion seen in legal education in recent years. "In times past, there were very few people studying law. Now the numbers are multiplying, and it should be the same for medicine," he said.

The new hostel facility at Wisconsin International University College will accommodate more health science students as the institution scales up its medical and allied health programmes. Traditional leaders and educationists who attended the event welcomed the expansion, noting that improved access to medical training will strengthen healthcare delivery across regions and help retain medical professionals outside major urban centres.

The government describes the expansion as part of its broader human capital development agenda to strengthen healthcare delivery nationwide.