Abono (Ashanti Region) - The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has called on the government to take immediate steps to improve salaries and conditions of service for doctors and other para-medical staff to avoid the possible closure of some health facilities for lack of staff.

It observed that some health institutions do not have the minimum numbers and complement of doctors and nurses to facilitate quality and safe health care delivery due to the ever-increasing brain drain of doctors and nurses in the country.

In a communiqu? signed by Dr. Jacob Plange-Rhule and Dr. Koma Jehu-Appiah, President and Honorary Secretary respectively of the GMA and issued to the press at the end of a Representative Board Meeting at Abono in the Bosomtwe-Atwima-Kwanwoma district on Sunday, it implored the government to speed up the process to establish the Ghana Post-graduate Medical College as one of the means of stemming the continuous attrition of highly trained health professionals.

It reiterated the call on the government to declare health as an "Essential" service like the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Military and the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS).

The communiqu? stressed the need for the government to expedite action on the appointment of the Director-General and other Directors for the Ghana Health Service and reconstitute the Teaching Hospitals' Boards to make them fully operational.

It called on the government to give due consideration to the provision of adequate residential accommodation to health professionals at the needed places and also provide "Practical guidelines on rent deductions within the Ministry of Health".

It said: "We encourage the government to continue with the provision of more cars for doctors and other para-medical professionals in the health sector to enhance quality health-care delivery", the communiqu? said.

The Board resolved to create a forum for a comprehensive public debate on Health-Care Financing as part of the Association's Third Annual Public Lecture this year in support of government's efforts to find effective and lasting solutions to health care financing in the country.