Deputy Medical Director of Korle Bu, Dr Harry Akoto, has revealed that approximately 300 highly skilled and specialised health professionals left the health facility between January and June 2025.
Dr Harry Akoto, the health workers left in search of better opportunities abroad.
According to him, Ghana risks losing more experienced medical professionals to developed countries if the conditions of health workers’ remuneration and training opportunities are not improved.
Speaking in an interview with Citi News on Thursday, September 18, Dr Harry Akoto disclosed, “When we look at our data, we have approximately 300 people leaving between January and June this year. These are people who are highly skilled and highly specialised.
“The issues are multifactorial; some are based on a poor work environment. But the chunk of it is remuneration. People feel they can get more out there than being here,” he explained.
In related news, Dr Yakubu Seidu Adam, the Chief Executive of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), has assured Ghanaians that the faulty elevator at the Surgical Department will be fixed within the next two months.
According to the Korle Bu CEO, the delay was caused by challenges with approvals at the Public Procurement Authority (PPA).
Speaking to Parliament’s Health Committee on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, Dr. Yakubu Seidu Adam stated, “The procurement has been done. There was some delay with the PPA, but it was finally approved, and we have given it to the vendor. The vendor has also engaged the manufacturer, and we have been assured that within two months, the elevator should be installed and operational. At the moment, only one elevator is working”.
Dr Yakubu Seidu Adam also urged Parliament to expedite the passage of legislation on organ harvesting.
He stressed that it would significantly reduce the cost of transplants for patients.
“Currently, anyone who needs a kidney transplant must travel to India, America, or the UK, even though we have the expertise here. For cornea transplants, we have to import corneas from America at prices ranging from $3,000 to $4,000. With legislation, we could harvest corneas locally, bringing the cost down to about GHC500 for patients,” he explained.
Also, Dr Yakubu Seidu has proposed increasing the levy from GHC2 to GHC5 to sustain the Intensive Care Unit of the Children’s Ward.
According to the management of Korle Bu, approximately 64 per cent of patients in the ICU of the Children’s Ward are unable to pay for services rendered to them.
They noted that these services are not covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
Dr. Yakubu Seidu Adam, speaking to the Parliament Health Committee on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, when they visited the facility, stated, “We’re making a case to engage NHIS. We’re also proposing that we increase the levy from GHC2 to GHC5 for patients who come here [Korle-Bu]. Some small levy”.
“64% of the bill is outstanding. The social welfare unit keeps them, because you cannot keep them here; if you do, you have to feed them. Here, there’s no NHIS”, he added.