Doctor exodus from Bawku has become a serious problem for the Ghana Medical Association because healthcare services in this area have reached an unacceptable state because of security concerns.
Dr. Frank Serebour of the GMA announced during an interview that doctors leave Bawku and reject any assignment to this dangerous area.
“Doctors who left Bawku to Accra and Kumasi have declared they will never return to the area,” Dr. Serebour announced. The insecurity in Bawku makes doctors choose to reject their allotted positions.
The doctor expressed that the genuine fear continues to expand across the region. Medical staff have reported both attacks against their homes and their properties being shot with bullets, which led some professionals to ask for police security.
He declared that medical staff currently operate under genuine danger conditions. “They live in fear every day. The situation has reached a point where people avoid any risks that might endanger their existence.
The medical crisis has generated adverse effects on hospital administrative procedures. Administrative hospital staff face similar challenges as their peers since implementing rules becomes nearly impossible while maintaining staff discipline.
Dr. Serebour explained that medical facility officials get threatened with death when they try to discipline their staff.
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“Hospital staff who get disciplined for work absences find their images disseminated alongside threats on the following day. It’s that serious,” he said.
Bawku attracted medical professionals to work in its harsh northern region until it transformed into a threatening area that most healthcare workers now avoid.
“Doctors used to be drawn to Bawku in the former era. Now, it’s the opposite. ” Dr. Serebour explained that the medical workers who remain in Bawku function under continuous fear.
The doctor has actively petitioned for the Minister of Health to take immediate action. The healthcare specialist demands the immediate relocation of medical staff who experience security threats into safer working environments.
To him, the health system should not collapse because of our fears, he declared. Meanwhile, the GMA warns that healthcare delivery in Bawku will stay paralyzed until the government takes fast action to end the conflict.
