Dr Ernest Yorke, President of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), has highlighted the long-standing accommodation challenges faced by doctors assigned to rural communities.
Speaking on JoyFM’s Super Morning Show on Wednesday, December 3, he explained that securing appropriate housing remains one of the biggest obstacles for medical professionals, especially at the time of their initial posting.
"Sometimes, accommodation issues have delayed doctors and other health professionals from assuming duties even if they have accepted to be posted there, and it has become a back-and-forth process until one is secured. Other times [they] would have to look for their own accommodations, and you may have to be reimbursed, or it is at your own cost," he said.
When asked whether accommodation is typically arranged for doctors ahead of posting, he responded, "If you are lucky, you may be provided with accommodation. Some districts have accommodation earmarked for doctors, but this is not the case everywhere."
Dr. Yorke stressed that resolving these housing challenges is critical to attracting and retaining medical officers in underserved areas, ultimately strengthening healthcare delivery.
He further urged stakeholders to invest meaningfully in social amenities and the health sector, especially in deprived communities. His comments follow reports that several newly posted doctors have declined assignments to the Upper West Region.
The Senior Rent Officer and Head of Public Relations at the Rent Control Department, Emmanuel Xove Kporsu, has attributed the rising cost of rent in Ghana to unregulated agent activities.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Friday, November 21, Mr Kporsu said the conduct of some agents and brokers continues to distort the rental market, pushing tenants to pay far more than they should.
He explained that the Real Estate Agency Act, passed in 2020, and a subsequent stakeholder engagement held in October, are intended to sanitise the sector by regulating fees and operations of agents. According to him, a council has already been established to oversee the implementation of the law.
Mr Kporsu noted that under the new framework, the council will prescribe approved fees for anyone operating as an agent or broker, issue licences and certificates, and ensure only qualified persons operate within the space.
“You cannot sit under a tree and call yourself an agent. It is an offence to call yourself an agent if you do not have your licence. The space will be regulated,” he stressed.
He further linked high rental charges to collusion between landlords and unregistered agents, explaining that although the law prohibits landlords from demanding more than six months’ rent advance, some agents influence landlords to request as much as two years.
“The agent is a contributor to the high rent in Ghana. The law says the landlord does not have the right to demand more than six months’ rent advance, but the tenant has the right to pay more than six months.
“The issue is that the agent colludes with the landlord to demand two years because they feel their fees are small if they take only six months,” he said.
source: Citi News Room
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