The Korle Bu Teaching Hospital has lost nearly 300 specialised health professionals in the first half of 2025, raising fresh concerns about the sustainability of healthcare delivery in Ghana’s leading referral centre.
Deputy Medical Director, Dr Harry Akoto, said the departures — mainly experienced doctors and nurses — were driven largely by poor remuneration and working conditions. “These are highly skilled, highly specialised professionals — not fresh graduates. People feel they can earn more elsewhere,” he told JoyNews.
He warned that Ghana could face a deeper health crisis if immediate steps are not taken to improve pay and working conditions. “You can have beautiful buildings, but if there is nobody there to work, patients will still be lost,” he said.
The revelation came during a needs assessment visit by the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, ahead of the rollout of Mahama Cares, a national programme to tackle non-communicable diseases.
Fund administrator Obuobia Darko-Opoku said Korle Bu’s challenges highlight the urgency of investment in equipment, infrastructure and human resources. “The tour has opened our eyes to the realities here, and once the reports come in, we will act on them,” she assured.
Hospital officials say they continue to lose intensive care nurses almost every month, a trend they describe as unsustainable without targeted interventions.
