Factors related to retention of postgraduate trainees in obstetrics-gynecology at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Ghana.

Purpose: The retention of health care workers in developing countries is a key component to reducing the current health care workforce crisis. The availability of postgraduate medical training in developing countries could be an appropriate adjunctive solution. The authors investigated factors that led obstetrics-gynecology (ob/gyn) residents at a university-based academic training program at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (Accra, Ghana) to stay in Ghana for training and explored why the residents expect to stay in (or leave) Ghana after training.

Who will be there when women deliver? Assuring retention of obstetric providers.

The Safe Motherhood Initiative has highlighted the need for improved health services with skilled attendants at delivery and the provision of emergency obstetric care. "Brain drain" has hampered this process and has been particularly prevalent in Ghana. Between 1993 and 2000, 68% of Ghanaian trained medical school graduates left the country.