His appeal follows a recent interaction with a group of Ghanaian nurses he encountered during his travels abroad, which he shared on his X page on Monday, 26 August 2024.
The group, consisting of both male and female nurses, was en route to the United Kingdom in search of better employment opportunities. During their conversation, the nurses revealed that, despite completing their nursing training four years ago, they have yet to be posted to any healthcare facility, leaving them in a precarious financial situation.
“We have not been posted since we completed school four years ago,” one of the nurses lamented, highlighting the challenges they have faced due to prolonged unemployment.
Deeply concerned by their plight, Wode Maya expressed his alarm over the ongoing exodus of skilled professionals from the country, commonly referred to as "brain drain." He called on the government to take immediate action, stating, “This is brain drain. I think the government has to do something about this.”
Wode Maya's concerns are echoed by the President of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, who recently disclosed that nearly 6,000 nurses and midwives have left Ghana in search of better opportunities abroad between August 2023 and August 2024. According to Ofori-Ampofo, poor remuneration and unsatisfactory working conditions were cited as key reasons for the nurses' decision to seek employment in other countries.
The increasing migration of healthcare professionals poses a significant challenge to Ghana's healthcare system, prompting growing calls for the government to implement measures to retain skilled workers. As this trend continues, the future of Ghana's healthcare workforce remains uncertain.