The nation’s healthcare system has sidestepped a potentially devastating industrial action as the government has successfully secured clearance and commenced the migration of hundreds of unpaid junior doctors onto the public payroll.
The critical development was announced today, October 13, by the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, who confirmed that the prompt intervention was designed to resolve the recurring issue of newly engaged doctors working for months without remuneration.
The salary delays had recently culminated in strike threats from the Junior Doctors’ Association (JDA).
Resolving Months of Salary Arrears
Mr Akandoh addressed the press, highlighting the severity of the situation, which saw numerous junior doctors reporting for duty and providing essential clinical services without official clearance or salary.
“You recently heard some junior doctors threatening to go on strike,” Mr. Akandoh stated. “They had started work without clearance, without salaries, without pay”.
He believed no young professional should have to endure such conditions, especially those critical to healthcare delivery.
Mr Akandoh emphasised the collaborative effort to resolve the administrative bottleneck.
“Again, we collaborated with the Ministry of Finance, and as I speak to you now, we have succeeded in getting them clearance, and they are being migrated onto the payroll.”
The Junior Doctors’ Association (JDA) had previously indicated that over 200 junior doctors were working with salary arrears spanning between 10 to 14 months.
This prolonged delay, which some analysts link to slow bureaucratic processes for financial clearance, is a perennial issue in the public sector.
Mitigating ‘Brain Drain’ Crisis
The successful payroll migration comes at a crucial time, as recurring salary issues are cited as a significant contributor to the emigration of skilled health professionals—a phenomenon widely known as the ‘brain drain.’
- Recent data suggests that factors like salary dissatisfaction and poor working conditions significantly drive the intention of health workers to migrate.
- A 2025 study highlighted that a significant percentage of healthcare workers, particularly young doctors, express high intentions to emigrate if conditions, including salary, are not improved.
- The government has previously acknowledged that the loss of physicians and other staff to countries like the United Kingdom and the United States poses a severe threat to Ghana’s efforts to attain Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030.
The timely resolution of the salary issue is expected to placate the Junior Doctors and prevent the disruption of health services, particularly in major teaching and regional hospitals where these junior doctors form a core part of the medical workforce.
“This move is a strong affirmation of the government’s commitment not only to their service conditions but to the broader stability of our health sector,” the minister added, urging the affected doctors to remain committed to their duties as their financial concerns are being actively resolved.
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