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Tackling Nurses’ Migration Requires Improving the Profession’s Attractiveness in Ghana – IMaH

The most effective way to reduce nurses migration from Ghana is for the Government to invest in the sector to make it more attractive, Joseline Adjoa Enchill, a Registered General Nurse at the International Maritime Hospital (IMaH) in Tema, said on Monday.

She said most of the nurses in the country gave their best to save lives, but the challenges they went through kept increasing without any policy to get those addressed.

She said the reason other countries were still employing Ghanaian nurses was because they were highly intelligent and skilled in their field of work, making them stand out in their activities.

Enchill said this at the Ghana News Agency’s health communication platform in Tema, dubbed: "Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility.”

The platform enhances the dissemination of health information to influence health choices and literacy.

“Ghanaian nurses are very intelligent; hence the UK is taking them. Most of my colleagues who are outside will tell you that they see a difference, Ghanaian nurses are doing marvellously well because they are being paid well…so why will they come back?” she asked.

The nursing profession was one of the most important components of the health service, and the health of Ghanaians was closely related to the quality and efficiency of nurses, Enchill said.

She said the nursing profession had different specialties and the Government could improve on their performance by intensifying investment in their training to be skilled in the various fields.

“The reason most people travel outside for healthcare services is the availability of specialties in those countries due to the intensified investment in the sector…and these could be inculcated into Ghana’s health service.”

Enchill said Ghana must improve staffing levels so that nurses would spend more time with each patient and enhance the livelihoods of the populace.

Francis Ameyibor, the Tema Regional Manager of GNA, said everyone’s health was important and should be prioritized to ensure a healthy society and enhance productivity.

He said the weekly health dialogue platform created a channel of communication for experts to educate the public on important health issues.