The Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Dr. Clement Apaak has questioned the Ministry of Health on steps being taken to ensure that Medical Doctors posted to deprived parts of the country take up their postings.

The lawmaker also requested the Minister of Health to give a timeline on the policy on posting of doctors to deprived areas.

According to him, “as we speak this is a practical reality. For example in the Upper East region last year of all the ten doctors posted there not even one took up his position and this year only five.”

In responding to the questions in Parliament, the Minister for Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu indicated that his ministry is validating a report on the situation which will be subsequently presented to the cabinet for action.

“Mr. Speaker, all the activities are not controlled by me, some of them are outside my environment. Depending on when we finish the validation I get my cabinet Memo done and approved then I come to Parliament to what we have agreed upon then we roll out.

“That is why we said we can’t wait for the problem you have mentioned to continue to exist. It is not the Upper East alone when you go to the Eastern region last year we sent ten there only one reported,” Mr. Agyeman Manu stated.

He said the Ministry has decided not to go about its usual way of posting rather the vacancies will be opened for applications.

“So if we tell you that there is a vacancy for a doctor and you are ready and apply we will interview you and post you there. So that idea of we will just get financial clearance and post doctors where they need to go and some will not go, we are stopping that.

“You will sit at home and look at adverts for vacancies if you are interested Mr. Speaker, we will post you. If you are not interested we can’t continue adding on to doctors in Accra. So that is the measure we are adopting,” the Health Minister added.