Medical doctors are one of the most important set of people in the country why? Because healthcare is part of the basic human rights of humans. This was stated by the United Nations in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) 1948.
Doctors being the leading experts in healthcare cannot be ignored in the planning of a country. In this post, we will be talking about the salary of doctors in Ghana.
How much do doctors earn in Ghana?
There have been arguments on the salary scheme of medical practitioners in Ghana. This is made evident by the incessant strikes by doctors over the years. Most people think that doctors all over the world get well paid.
The case is different in Ghana because doctors are on the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) like other institutions in Ghana. Senior doctors earn about GHC 3600 while specialist doctors earn about GHC 5000 monthly which’s before tax deduction.
Apart from their monthly salaries, there are other allowances. Here is a breakdown of their allowances:
- Accommodation allowance – 40% of the basic salary
- On-call duty facilitation allowance – 20% of the basic salary
- Clothing allowance – 30% of the basic salary
- Book allowance – 30% of the basic salary
- Utility allowance – 20% of the basic salary
- Professional allowance – 50% of the basic salary
- Special risk allowance – 30% of the basic salary
- Vehicle maintenance -20% of basic salary
Here is an overview of the other jobs related to the medical field in Ghana.
Job Title | Average Salary |
Chief of Surgery | 20,593 GHS |
Clinical Microbiologist | 5,032 GHS |
Clinical Molecular Geneticist | 5,798 GHS |
Clinical Neuropsychologist | 5,790 GHS |
Dental Assistant | 3,256 GHS |
Dental Hygienist | 3,315 GHS |
Dental Laboratory Technician | 3,464 GHS |
Dental Receptionist | 3,546 GHS |
Dental Technician | 3,312 GHS |
Dental Therapist | 5,995 GHS |
Dentist | 11,780 GHS |
Dermatologist | 17,838 GHS |
Diagnostic Medical Sonographer | 5,015 GHS |
Dietetic Technician | 3,477 GHS |
Dietitian | 11,248 GHS |
Director of Medical Staff Services | 7,075 GHS |
Discharge Coordinator | 3,860 GHS |
Dispensing Optician | 4,333 GHS |
District Nurse | 3,867 GHS |
Doctor | 11,719 GHS |
Dosimetrist | 6,446 GHS |
General Medical Practitioner | 9,209 GHS |
Genetic Counselor | 7,854 GHS |
Head Nurse | 4,408 GHS |
Health Compliance Director | 6,490 GHS |
Health Economist | 5,610 GHS |
Health Information Manager | 5,828 GHS |
Health Services Manager | 6,864 GHS |
Health Systems Specialist | 5,012 GHS |
Health Technologist | 5,228 GHS |
Health Unit Coordinator | 3,343 GHS |
Healthcare Assistant | 3,757 GHS |
Healthcare Consultant | 5,413 GHS |
Healthcare Data Analyst | 5,416 GHS |
Hearing Aid Specialist | 5,124 GHS |
Home Nurse | 3,713 GHS |
ICU Registered Nurse | 3,872 GHS |
Immunologist | 8,919 GHS |
Intake Coordinator | 3,786 GHS |
Internist | 15,044 GHS |
Medical Administrator | 4,178 GHS |
Medical Assistant | 3,447 GHS |
Medical Biller | 3,116 GHS |
Medical Billing Clerk | 3,262 GHS |
Medical Billing Specialist | 4,001 GHS |
Medical Coder | 3,510 GHS |
Medical Courier | 2,697 GHS |
Medical Director | 10,919 GHS |
Medical Records Coding Manager | 5,406 GHS |
Medical Records Director | 5,929 GHS |
Medical Records Transcriptionist | 3,069 GHS |
Medical Scribe | 3,801 GHS |
Medical Secretary | 2,895 GHS |
Medical Staff Services Specialist | 4,513 GHS |
Medical Technologist | 3,943 GHS |
Medication Aide | 3,622 GHS |
Mental Health Aide | 3,739 GHS |
Mental Health Nurse | 3,647 GHS |
Mental Health Technician | 3,708 GHS |
Mental Health Therapist | 8,288 GHS |
Mental Health Worker | 3,718 GHS |
Mobile Phlebotomist | 3,603 GHS |
MRI Technologist | 3,945 GHS |
Nurse | 3,760 GHS |
Nurse Educator | 4,397 GHS |
Nurse Midwife | 4,394 GHS |
Nurse Practitioner | 4,069 GHS |
Nursing Assistant | 3,562 GHS |
Nursing Coordinator | 4,175 GHS |
Nursing Director | 5,608 GHS |
Nursing Services Instructor | 4,262 GHS |
Nursing Supervisor | 4,416 GHS |
Patient Services Director | 7,144 GHS |
Patient Sitter | 2,899 GHS |
Pediatrician | 12,081 GHS |
Perfusionist | 12,303 GHS |
Periodontist | 14,033 GHS |
Perioperative Aide | 3,999 GHS |
Personal Support Worker | 2,954 GHS |
Phlebotomist | 8,266 GHS |
Physical Therapist | 7,633 GHS |
Physical Therapy Aide | 3,164 GHS |
Physical Therapy Assistant | 3,106 GHS |
Physical Therapy Director | 9,556 GHS |
Physician | 12,717 GHS |
Physician Assistant | 7,759 GHS |
Physiotherapist | 8,496 GHS |
Podiatrist | 9,081 GHS |
Practice Manager | 5,944 GHS |
Pre Authorization Case Manager | 4,922 GHS |
Preventive Medicine Physician | 11,317 GHS |
Surgeon | 15,957 GHS |
Surgeon – Burn | 15,056 GHS |
Surgeon – Cardiothoracic | 20,340 GHS |
Who is a doctor
In simple terms, a doctor/physician is a person that provides medical treatment to people. They can be found in hospitals, clinics, and healthcare centers.
How to become a doctor in Ghana?
The journey to becoming a medical doctor starts from senior secondary school. Those with an aspiration of becoming a medical doctor have to be in the science class. This leads you to study medicine at university if you fall into this category.
You have at least credits in the core subjects relating to life sciences. These include mathematics, English, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. With these, you are able to apply for medical studies at any university in Ghana.
There is one more step. You must also pass their entrance exams exceptionally well to gain admission. This is because of the increase in candidates applying for entry into the field.
You undergo 6 years of rigorous training in the university before graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Medicine. After this, you enroll for residency training and complete a period of houseman-ship and district rotation. This is for a year and is part of the criteria stated by the Ministry of Health to practice medicine.
The final step to becoming a doctor is obtaining a license from the Ministry of Health. Those who studied medicine outside Ghana will have to take special exams to be granted the license to practice medicine.
Responsibilities of a doctor in Ghana
- Doctors in Ghana are responsible for the correct prescription of drugs to patients.
- Enlighten patients on the risks, advantages, and disadvantages of treatment and operations prior to the time of the treatment.
- Doctors in Ghana do follow-up check-ups on patients after treatment.
- Doctors swore an oath to patient confidentiality.
Requirements of a doctor in Ghana
- Bachelor in medicine and surgery.
- Residency training.
- Houseman-ship.
- Medical practice License.
- The person must have been certified by the Ghana Medical and Dental Council.
Conclusion
Due to the poor salary scheme, there has been a hike in the number of medical practitioners leaving the country. We have provided you information on how much doctors in Ghana earn and how to become one.