Health Minister Dr Kwaku Afriyie has disclosed that incentive packages have been designed by the government to attract and retain professional health workers to stay at home and offer their services to the people with priority to be given to those who serve in the deprived communities.

He made this statement when he opened the second medical and pharmaceutical fair dubbed "MEDICARE 02" in Accra Tuesday, this week.

He said the aim of the fair was to demonstrate new methods of treating and eradicating malaria and promote positive partnership between orthodox medical and traditional herbal practitioners.

Dr. Afriyie stated that the fair, which is the second of its kind, had come at a time when all attention was focussed on the promotion and improvement of health delivery systems both locally and internationally.

He said out of the government's commitment to ensure that the youth are adequately empowered to make responsible decisions that affect their lives, it had secured a World Bank credit of $25million to support the Ghana Aids Commission in its campaign against the spread of HIV/AIDS in Ghana.

He added that in their efforts to reverse the brain drain syndrome the government had instituted a revolving fund to provide a housing scheme and vehicles for health professionals.

The health minister stressed the need for traditional medicine to be given a rightful place in the health care delivery programme because apart from a few Ghanaians , a sizeable number of people, especially those in the rural areas resort to herbs.

This, he said, would help solve the problem of affordability, accessibility and acceptability.