BY DANIEL BAMPOE
New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has held consultations with young medical professionals and medical students from across Ghana as part of his ongoing efforts to gather firsthand perspectives from key sectors ahead of the 2028 general elections.
The former Vice President met with the national leadership of the Junior Doctors Association (JDA), the Federation of Ghana Medical Students Association (FGMSA), as well as presidents of medical students’ associations from various medical schools across the country.
The engagement focused on some of the challenges confronting Ghana’s emerging healthcare workforce, including conditions of medical training, timely postings after graduation, welfare, career progression and other concerns affecting young doctors and medical students.
Dr. Bawumia described the discussions as open and honest, saying they provided an opportunity for the young medical professionals and student leaders to speak directly about the challenges they face in their training and early professional careers.
The meeting forms part of a broader series of stakeholder engagements being undertaken by the NPP flagbearer as he develops policy proposals ahead of the 2028 presidential election. In recent engagements, Dr. Bawumia has consulted professional groups and sector stakeholders on issues ranging from engineering and infrastructure to agriculture, the seed industry and healthcare.
According to him, young doctors and medical students constitute an important component of Ghana’s future healthcare system, making their experiences and recommendations particularly relevant to the formulation of policies affecting the health sector.
“These are the brilliant minds who will carry the weight of Ghana’s healthcare system tomorrow, and their voices must shape our policies today,” Dr. Bawumia said.
The former Vice President’s engagement with the medical community comes against the backdrop of longstanding concerns about the training and working conditions of healthcare professionals in Ghana.
Medical training is demanding and requires significant investment in infrastructure, teaching facilities, equipment and human resources. For young doctors, the transition from medical school to professional practice also comes with challenges relating to postings, employment opportunities, specialist training and career development.
The issue of timely postings has been particularly important for newly qualified medical professionals who require placement within the health system to begin or continue their professional careers. Delays in postings can create uncertainty for graduates while also raising broader questions about the effective deployment of Ghana’s healthcare workforce.
Welfare also featured prominently in the discussions, reflecting concerns over the conditions under which young healthcare professionals are expected to work and build their careers.
Dr. Bawumia said the discussions provided valuable insights that could inform policy development and expressed appreciation to the young doctors and student leaders for openly sharing their experiences.
The consultation is part of Dr. Bawumia’s wider effort to engage professionals and identifiable groups directly rather than relying solely on conventional political structures when developing policy proposals.
His approach has increasingly focused on soliciting technical and professional input on national challenges, with the stated objective of ensuring that proposed policies reflect the realities faced by people working within the various sectors.
Dr. Bawumia’s engagement comes as the NPP prepares for the 2028 elections following its defeat in the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections. Having been selected as the party’s presidential candidate, he has been using the period leading to the next election to engage various stakeholders and strengthen the policy platform with which he intends to approach the 2028 campaign.
