The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akando, has paid a working visit to the Bole Municipal Hospital as part of a regional tour to assess health infrastructure and engage frontline workers. During the visit, the Minister also inspected the proposed site for the construction of a new district hospital for Bole.
The Minister expressed appreciation to all health professionals who continue to accept postings to the Savannah Region even when they could have pursued jobs in larger cities. He noted that the government is introducing an improved incentive package for health workers who accept rural postings, adding that their commitment plays a key role in strengthening healthcare delivery in underserved communities.
He explained that the government is working toward a more equitable distribution of health workers across the country. According to him, about 65 percent of the nation’s medical doctors are currently concentrated in Accra, Kumasi and other major urban centers, leaving district facilities understaffed. To address this imbalance, all 700 medical doctors due for posting this year will be assigned to district-level facilities, with the Savannah Region expected to receive 20 of them. He appealed to medical doctors and caregivers to view rural postings not as punishment but as part of the broader national reset agenda of the JM administration, and as an opportunity to give back to families and communities in rural areas. He further stated that he has encouraged MMDCs to prioritize the welfare of health workers by providing decent accommodation and other necessary support.
The Minister announced that beginning January 2026, the Ministry of Health will introduce new specialist training programs in oncology, nephrology, critical care nursing and peri-operative nursing. He stated that a surge in global demand for health professionals, especially specialists, has made it necessary for Ghana to expand its specialist training capacity. Many trained health workers are also currently awaiting posting, and the new programs will open opportunities for both local placement and international engagement. As part of the crash program, the government aims to train between 1,500 and 2,000 specialists within a year at Korle Bu, Komfo Anokye and Tamale Teaching Hospital.
Mr Akando also revealed that the government will construct a new regional hospital in Damongo and a new district hospital in Bole, noting that inspection of the Bole project site was a central purpose of his visit.
In the brief meeting with the staff of the hospital, the medical superintendent, Naa Dr Jonathan Wadeyir Abesig outlined the urgent challenges of the hospital
These include the lack of an ambulance, the absence of a generator for backup power, a high number of casual workers who need to be mechanised to ease the pressure on the hospital’s IGF, and the lack of a vehicle for daily administrative duties. He assured staff and management that he would collaborate with the Member of Parliament to ensure that these challenges are addressed.
The visit concluded with a renewed government commitment to strengthening healthcare infrastructure and improving conditions for health workers in the Savannah Region.
