Professor Seth Ayettey, Provost of the College of Health Sciences of the University of Ghana, on Saturday said the introduction of the additional duty hour allowance to doctors by the government is slowing down the perennial exodus of young doctors to seek greener pastures.

Similarly, he said the provision of cars to health professionals by the government, coupled with the provision of local graduate programmes and postgraduate scholarships are also contributing to the reversal of the brain drain in the health sector.

Prof. Ayettey was speaking at the 18th swearing-in ceremony for 71 newly qualified doctors and five dental surgeons of the College of Health Sciences in Accra.

It is the first graduation ceremony of the college, established last year to co-ordinate the academic activities of a number of departments including the University of Ghana Medical School, School of Public Health, University of Ghana Dental School and the Department of Nursing.

Prof. Ayettey said the college is working closely with the Home Finance Company, Social Security and national Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and other institutions for a package that would enable young graduates, who pursue an academic career and non-professionals in the college, to own houses early.

He said 473 million cedis have been received from various institutions such as Valco, Ghana Reinsurance and Barclays Bank to support 44 out of 150 Ghanaian students undertaking local graduate programmes. Some of the money is also for the post graduate scholarship funds.

The Provost said Ghana is gaining a leadership role in medical education in the sub-region and the rest of Africa.

Prof. Ayettey disclosed that the college would this year develop the Department of Nursing into a school and also start the School of Allied Health Sciences to train radiographers, physiotherapists and laboratory technologists for the country.

Mrs Akua Adusei-Herbstein, an industrialist and Managing Director of Akuaba Limited, who was the guest of honour, called on the newly qualified doctors and dental surgeons to commit themselves to a lifetime of self-education and professional development.

She called for the engagement of a medical ombudsman, who would liaise between newly qualified doctors and health authorities to ensure that the frustrations of these newly qualified doctors would be heard and given attention.

Mrs Adusei-Herbstein said the ombudsman would help stop the exodus of young doctors. The 39 year-old medical school has so far trained 1,595 doctors.

Dr Methoduis Gamuo Tuuli, who took home 13 different prizes and over one million cedis, was the overall best medical student for the year 2000.