Prof. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, Acting Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, recently met with the Ghana-Cuba Health Professionals Network 2019 Year Group to discuss their critical role in enhancing primary healthcare delivery across the country.

During the meeting, the group’s president extended congratulations to Prof. Kaba on his appointment. In response, Prof. Kaba encouraged the network's members to consider serving in underserved regions of Ghana, outlining several key incentives to motivate their service. These included promotion out of turn and the opportunity for study leave to pursue specialization after two years of service. He also provided valuable insights into regions with significant needs for medical officers, guiding the group's decision-making in their postings.

This meeting highlights Ghana’s ongoing commitment to improving primary healthcare and advancing its goal of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Notably, many members of the Ghana-Cuba Health Professionals Network have already begun working in various regions after successfully passing the Medical and Dental Council Exams, while others are awaiting their official postings.

Present at the meeting were Dr. Caroline Reindolf Amissah, Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, and Dr. Lawrence Ofori Boadu, Director of the Institutional Care Division.

The Ghana-Cuba Health Professionals Network 2019 Year Group consists of medical officers who, under a Government of Ghana scholarship, left for Cuba in 2012 to train in the medical field. They returned in 2019 after completing their studies and passing the Ghana Medical and Dental Council Exams, ready to contribute to the improvement of Ghana’s healthcare system.

Credit: Ghana Health Service