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President John Mahama has assured students in health training institutions of more job opportunities as his government continues to expand infrastructure in the sector.

The President who was addressing separate durbars in the Salaga district as part of his campaign tour of the Northern region urged trainees and the public in general to ignore false claims by political opponents that there is a freeze on employment.

He emphasized that there is no exemption for the health and education sector when it comes to employment.

“So if anybody tells you this [ie that there is a freeze on jobs], it’s a lie. There is a net freeze on other sectors which means as more people retire, those vacancies are replaced but that does not apply to the education and health sectors. As many as must be put on the pay roll, we will continue drafting then onto the pay roll. We have had problems with ghost names that is why we go through a verification process, a system that delays the recruitments” he explained further

The President noted that the over two billion dollars invested so far will not only add 6,000 beds to existing facilities. More health training facilities have also been established with the last few years to ensure the human resource needed are available to be absorbed unto the government payroll.

“We are training health professionals across the length and breadth of the country. The University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ho is training Doctors, Biomedical Health Specialists and Public Health Specialists. The University of Development Studies is expanding its training programme for Doctors and other medical staff. The same is ongoing at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, the Cape Coast University and Legon. On Paramedical staff and nurses for example, we have the Midwifery Training Colleges, Health Assistant Training Schools and the Community Health training schools. In deed we have so far established more than 36 of these schools across the country” he told the cheering crowd including student Kpembe Midwifery Training School at Salagaa.

President Mahama who took time to explain his policy for the health sector also debunked propaganda by the NPP particularly that the NHIS has collapsed.

“Our political opponents say NHIS has collapsed. NHIS in 2008 saw 9 million outpatient visitations to hospitals. Last year, 2015, the NHIS has grown in outpatients visitations from 9 million to 29 million. How can that be a scheme that has collapsed? In 2008, the total amount of money that was paid to facilities for providing treatments to NHIA [National Health Insurance Authority] patients was GHc183 million. Last year, 2015, the total amount of money that was paid by NHIA to facilities across the country for treatments given to NHIA cardholders was more than GHc1 billion. How can that be a scheme that has collapsed?”…he asked

He observed that at least two health professionals attend to each patient and 6,000 new beds would mean an automatic 12,000 jobs created. “Health facilities provide access. An NHIS with no facility is useless and that is why government is investing heavily in terms of training and infrastructure” He added.

President John Mahama also explained the decision to re-introduce the abated allowance. He said because of technical challenges in rolling out the student loan scheme. He however said that is being addressed and the Finance Ministry has been instructed by a committee that looked into their concerns to ensure all those affected receive allowances”.