Key Determinants of Migration among Health Professionals in Ghana.

Abstract

The focus of this study is to assess the level of migration expectation among health care professionals and to determine some of the factors which have pushed - and are likely to continue to push - them to seek employment outside Ghana. Specifically, the study has sought to answer the following questions: What is the future outlook of the emigration of Ghanaian health professionals? Is it likely to grow or decline? What are the causes behind the emigration of healthcare professionals? On a personal level, why do these doctors and nurses leave Ghana? Does this express dissatisfaction with the situation in the home country, or the will to pursue aspirations or opportunities abroad? What are the consequences of the emigration of health professionals on training and other labour-related issues for the Ghanaian health sector? What has been done in the past to curb the situation and what are the policy options available now? What could be done more generally to minimize the risks and maximize the benefits involved, if any? These questions delineate the line of enquiry followed in this paper. The report is organized as follows: section two discusses the research methodology and is followed by a third section analyzing the survey data. Section four presents the conclusions of the study.

Citation

DRC Research Report, January 2010, 20 pp.

Key Determinants of Migration among Health Professionals in Ghana.

Published 1 January 2010