Reversing Brain Drain into Brain Gain Ghanas Story

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Reversing Brain Drain into Brain Gain -
Ghanas Story

• By David Ekow Appiah
• Project Field Manager
• MIDA Ghana Health Project
• International Organization for Migration (IOM)
  Ghana

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Outline

• The Past
• The Initial Solution
• The Future

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The PAST

• Some foreign-trained Health Professionals return
  Ghana while a few others decline to return
  before 1980s
• Health Professionals trained with public funds
  begin to seek greener pastures abroad -1980s
• Significant quantum of health sector migration
  hit Ghana -1990s to 2005
• A few qualified professionals return home thru
  RQAN -1990s
• Feasibility studies on implementing a health
  sector brain gain project for Ghana conducted by
  IOM and MoH 2003-2004
• Dutch Government supports a health sector brain
  gain project for Ghana 2005 onwards

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The INITIAL SOLUTION

• MoH and partners evaluate options
• - bonding, bilateral recruitment
  agreements etc
• Health sector Remuneration improved
• Incentives introduced
• Ghana College of Physicians Surgeons
  established
• Some Healthcare Facilities upgraded/expanded
• MIDA Ghana Health Project initiated
• Jan 2005

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MIDA Ghana Health Project

• A Brain Gain Project for the Health Sector in
  Ghana

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Background

• It is a health sector brain-gain, human resource
  capacity-building initiative
• Seeks to attract and mobilize Ghanaian and other
  African health professionals resident in Europe
  to take up temporary placements in various health
  institutions in Ghana
• Offers opportunities for internships in the
  Europe for Health Workers in the Ghanaian health
  system

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Project Objectives

• To utilize the available skills, expertise and
  experience of Ghanaian Migrant Health
  Professionals (GMHPs) in the Netherlands and
  other European countries to the benefit of the
  Ghanaian health sector.
• To contribute to the capacity building process in
  Ghana, in particular the efforts of Government of
  Ghanas Human Resources Development Strategy in
  reversing brain drain in the health sector.
• To build networks with the Ghanaian Diaspora
  thereby stimulating cooperation with healthcare
  institutions in Ghana and the Netherlands.

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Partners
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How does the project work?

• Demand-driven (based on identified local skills
  needs).
• Match between local needs and available skills.
• Assigments and internships between several weeks
  and three months.
• Skills transfer based on principle of Training
  of Trainers (TOT).
• Travel and living costs are covered by IOM
• Host Institutions provide accommodation and
  internal transport

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Concept
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3
5
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Project Participants (Undertakes temporary
returns to Ghana)
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Achievements (Jan 05 Mar 08)

• 66 Temporary returns realized
• 75 Migrant professionals registered
• 90 Healthcare institutions needs database
  acquired
• 35 Ghanaian institutions benefited directly
• 5 Internships in Europe facilitated
• 8264 Students and Health Workers directly
  benefited from capacity-building component
• 8 out of 10 regions of Ghana directly benefited

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Some Beneficial Institutions

• St. Joseph's Hospital, Koforidua - Kintampo
  Rural Health Training Sch.
• Ankaful Nursing Training College - Pantang
  Nursing Training College
• St. Michael's Hospital, Pramso - KEEA
  District Health Directorate
• KNUST Sch. of Medical Sciences - St. Dominic's
  Hospital, Akwatia
• Ghana Prison Service - St.
  Mary's hospital, Drobo
• Univ. of Ghana Medical School - Sch. of
  Allied Health Sciences, UG
• Holy Family Hospital, Nkawkaw -
  Effia-Nkwanta Hosp. Sekondi
• SDA Hospital, Agona Asamang - Komfo Anokye
  Teaching Hospital
• Wa Hospital -
  St Theresas Hosp. Nandom
• St. John of God Hosp. Duayaw Nkwanta
• Ripples Health Care

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Lessons Learned

• Stakeholders collaboration essential for
  sustainability.
• Capacity-building is more effective if linked to
  Ghana's national HR policies strategies for
  health.
• Working through MIDA Ghana Health creates
  opportunities for the diaspora to develop their
  capacity-building initiatives more structurally
• A substantial number of Migrant Health
  Professionals are strongly motivated to make a
  contribution to the development of Ghana health
  sector through short-term, long-term and vitual
  returns.

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The FUTURE -Way Forward

• MIDA Ghana Health III Project -MoH IOM
• MIDA North America (Health) Project -MoH IOM
• Facilitation of Long-term Returns of Migrant
  Health Professionals MoH IOM
• Further improvement of health sector working
  conditions - GoG

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MIDA Ghana Health III(Apr. 2008 - Mar.
2011)What is new?

• Focus more on 4 northern regions including BAR
• Emphasis on Reproductive and Regenerative health
• 150 short-term assignments targeted
• 10 internships targeted
• Facilitation of Long-term returns to be explored

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Thank you