Migration and Development MIDA Ghana Health project International Organization for Migration Mission in the Netherlands P.O. Box 10796 2501 HT The Hague The Netherlands T +31 70 31 81 500 E [email protected] I www.iom-nederland.nl Ned/0/568 T 2012 IOM International Organization for Migration Text IOM the Netherlands Homerus Tekst Service, Voorburg With special thanks to Daniel Sam, Field Manager MIDA Ghana Health project and Valeria Ionescu Hans Eijkhout, former project coordinator of the MIDA Ghana Health project Cover photo Students at a mental health lecture by a Ghanaian mental health educator from the United Kingdom at the Kintampo Rural Health Training School, Kintampo, Ghana. Design and print insandouts communication design print, Maassluis Production IOM the Netherlands IOM is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits Migration for the benefit of all migrants and society. As an intergovernmental organization, IOM acts with Established in 1951, IOM is the leading inter governmental organization in the field its partners in the international community to assist in meeting the operational of migration and works closely with governmental, inter-governmental and challenges of migration; advance understanding of migration issues; and non-governmental partners. uphold the human dignity and well-being of migrants. IOM in the Netherlands assists migrants with voluntary return to their country of origin and sustainable reintegration. IOM also arranges the travel of invited refugees and family members that have received authorization to be reunited with their families in the Netherlands. As a third activity, IOM facilitates qualified migrants Copyright © 2012 International Organization for Migration (IOM) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, who reside in the Netherlands to help with the development or reconstruction of or transmitted in any form by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or their country of origin through temporary return projects. otherwise without prior written permission of the publisher. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION THE NETHERLANDS MIDA GHANA HEALTH PROJECT 1 Introduction MIGRATION & DEVELOPMENT The MIDA Ghana Health project is funded by Maximizing the positive relationship between the Dutch government through the Embassy migration and development has long been of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Accra. a focus of the work of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). IOM’s temporary return projects: This is especially relevant in an era of – are flexible and demand driven based on globalization and unprecedented mobility. identified needs and gaps in priority The objective of IOM’s migration and sectors of countries of origin; development programme is to contribute – work actively with the diaspora and its to the work of the international community, resources and networks; in particular to harness the development – facilitate contacts and cooperation between potential of the diaspora for the benefit the diaspora and their home countries and of their native country and to contribute strongly focus on building capacity of to sustainable development and poverty stakeholders in countries of origin; reduction. – stimulate cooperation and partnerships between institutions in countries of MIGRATION & DEVELOPMENT origin and knowledge institutes in the The Migration for development in Africa Netherlands and other EU countries. (MIDA) initiative links the skills and expertise in the diaspora to the development of home countries. The MIDA Ghana Health project aims to build a bridge between available resources of the Ghanaian diaspora and needs, opportunities and policies in the health sector in Ghana. The main purpose of the project is to facilitate the temporary return to Ghana of Ghanaian health professionals from the diaspora The MIDA Ghana Health project is financed by residing in the Netherlands, United Kingdom, the Netherlands Embassy in Ghana and is realised Germany and other EU countries for the in close cooperation with the Ministry of Health in benefit of local health institutions. Ghana. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION THE NETHERLANDS MIDA GHANA HEALTH PROJECT 2 Dr. Paul Ofori-Atta, an orthopaedic surgeon from the United Kingdom (back to camera) explains issues on x-ray to medical health professional at the VRA Hospital in Akosombo. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION THE NETHERLANDS MIDA GHANA HEALTH PROJECT 3 Contents MIDA Ghana Health project ASSIGNMENT STORIES IOM the Netherlands 4 Clement Jafani Nabare: Netherlands Embassy: “Whenever I return to Ghana, appeal to Ghana government 5 I see great improvement” 16 IOM The Hague and IOM Accra 6 Dr. Paul Ofori-Atta: “Make the brain drain work to our advantage” 17 INTERVIEW PROJECT PARTNER Clement Adu Twum: Ministry of Health in Ghana: “I wanted to see how I could be a committed government 9 of service” 18 Hagar Amponsah: INTERVIEWS HOST ORGANIZATIONS “You start with something little, and then it grows” 19 Col.dr. Samuel Offei Awuku: “A great impact on our hospital” 10 iNTERNSHIP STORIES Bernard Botwe: “Establishing a strategic fit” 11 Yaa Ntiriwaa Danso: “Many people benefit from my Dr. Rebecca Acquaah-Arhin: internship” 22 “The quality of our patient care has greatly improved” 12 Dr. Akosua Hemeng: “Building a strong national work Dr. Ken Sagoe: force of clinicians” 23 “Bringing back much needed expertise into the health sector” 13 Results 24 INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION THE NETHERLANDS MIDA GHANA HEALTH PROJECT 4 MIDA Ghana Health project IOM the Netherlands MIDA GHANA HEALTH PROJECT The MIDA Ghana Health project started in The MIDA Ghana Health project contributes 2002 and finishes in December 2012. to the development of human resources in The project was linked to the five-year the health sector in Ghana. Ghanaian and Human Resources Policies & Strategies other African migrants in EU countries can (HRPS) for the Health Sector 2007-2011, transfer knowledge, skills and experience as defined by the Ministry of Health of through temporary assignments to Ghana. Ghana. The project consists of three main Also, health workers from Ghana have components: the opportunity to engage in specialized training at health care institutions in 1 IOM facilitated temporary return the Netherlands, Germany or the United assignments to Ghana carried out by Kingdom. qualified Ghanaian health professionals The project is implemented by IOM in close from the diaspora residing in the cooperation with the Ministry of Health of Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Ghana and Ghanaian diaspora groups in Germany. Europe. 2 IOM facilitated internships abroad for qualified health workers from Ghana. The internships took place in hospitals and other health educational institutions in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom or Germany. 3 IOM and the Ministry of Health of Ghana undertook an assessment into the option of facilitating long-term returns of members from the diaspora to the health sector in Ghana. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION THE NETHERLANDS MIDA GHANA HEALTH PROJECT 5 Netherlands Embassy: appeal to Ghana government Alexander van Ommen: “The project helped to open up the discussion needed to improve the health sector” The Netherlands Embassy in Ghana has motivated, well-educated health personnel been involved in, and the main sponsor of, back within Ghana’s borders. In this respect, the MIDA Ghana Health project since its the Ghanaian government could make a start in 2005. Alexander van Ommen, stronger moral appeal to those involved in the Embassy’s Health and Gender Adviser: the diaspora to stimulate their involvement. “Our Embassy plays an important financial Their country needs these men and women.” role, as the Dutch government is responsible for the main part of the project’s funding. STIMULATING CIRCULAR Additionally, we have been providing MIGRATION technical support and have used our Although the MIDA Ghana Health project network to promote MIDA’s visibility with ends in December 2012, the project has s parties such as Ghanaian government erved to place circular migration (migrants officials and health services.” temporarily returning to their home country, making their knowledge and network BRAIN DRAIN available. Ed.) higher on the national agenda. Mr. Van Ommen praises the idea behind Alexander van Ommen: “In a way, it has the project, which he says, “ideally could played an important part in opening up the contribute to putting a stop to the brain discussion that is needed to improve the drain, with medical staff leaving Ghana for health sector’s situation.” Europe and the United States. It is essential that this brain drain is turned into a brain gain, bringing the much-needed expertise of INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION THE NETHERLANDS MIDA GHANA HEALTH PROJECT 6 IOM THE HAGUE AND IOM ACCRA Stimulating linkages between migration and development More and more migrants and migrant “We bring together governments, migrants organizations are becoming actively involved and other key stakeholders such as hospitals in the development of their countries of and health professionals. Here in Ghana we origin. Despite the economic crisis, the see a good example of bridge building in the amount of money alone which migrants MIDA Ghana Health project. Not only does transfer to family at home each year makes IOM create networks and connections, the this relationship very visible. The strength of migrants