The John Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) government is exploring all available avenues to secure employment for over 70,000 qualified but unemployed health professionals across the country.
The assurance was given by Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Minister for Health and Member of Parliament for Juaboso in the Western Region.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Friday, July 18, Mr. Akandoh announced that the government has already employed about 10,000 of these health workers in the past six months.
“Our biggest asset in healthcare is our people — the dedicated nurses, doctors, allied health professionals, pharmacists, and all supporting staff who serve Ghana every day.
“We recognise the challenge of over 70,000 qualified health workers currently awaiting employment, but I want to assure you that we are working tirelessly to clear this backlog,” he said.
Aside from local recruitment efforts, the minister revealed that government is also engaging with other countries and the private sector to create more opportunities for Ghanaian health workers.
“To complement government recruitment, we are exploring managed migration and private sector options. Over 13 countries have now expressed interest in recruiting Ghanaian health workers.
“We are formulating policies to ensure these benefits are fairly distributed to both our health system and our professionals,” Mr. Akandoh stressed.
