The Exodus of Healthcare Professionals from Ghana and its Effect on the Healthcare System

The migration of healthcare professionals from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to high-income countries (HICs), often termed as brain drain, remains a significant and widely debated issue. This study examines the exodus of healthcare workers from Ghana and its impact on the country's health system. Using a scoping review methodology, we mapped and synthesized existing literature on migration of healthcare professionals from Ghana, focusing on key challenges and strategies to address this phenomenon. The Population, Concept, Context (PCC) framework was systematically applied to define study eligibility criteria. The search strategy employed Boolean operators (AND/OR) with key MeSH words including healthcare workforce, health policy, migration, brain drain, intervention strategies, and Ghana across databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science. Eleven (11) studies met the inclusion criteria. The review identified low wages, poor working conditions, limited career advancement opportunities, and political instability as primary drivers of healthcare migration of healthcare professionals. To mitigate these challenges, efforts should focus on improving domestic conditions for healthcare workers, including enhanced remuneration, better service conditions, and career development initiatives. Additionally, governments must prioritize strengthening healthcare infrastructure, particularly in rural regions, to reduce disparities in service delivery. The findings also suggest that partnerships with high-income countries could facilitate skills development programs for Ghanaian healthcare workers, provided such collaborations include strengthened agreements (e.g., bonding schemes) to ensure professionals return to apply their expertise domestically. While the scoping review synthesizes critical insights, further empirical studies targeting specific regions or demographic blocs are needed to assess whether migration trends have persisted or evolved. Future research should also explore new subpopulations, geographic contexts, or timeframes to evaluate the reproducibility of existing findings and their applicability to contemporary or shifting socioeconomic landscapes.