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The Ministry of Finance has granted financial clearance for the recruitment of approximately 8,000 health professionals, underscoring the government’s commitment to tackling Ghana’s long-standing healthcare workforce crisis. The announcement was made by Frederick Mensah-Acheampong, Director of Human Resources at the Ministry of Health, during a press conference in Accra. He acknowledged the widespread concern among health workers caused by the backlog of unemployed professionals.
“We have received financial clearance to recruit about 8,000 health professionals from the Ministry of Finance. The Ministry recognises the anxiety these recruitment exercises have generated, particularly given the backlog of around 105,000 unemployed health workers, some awaiting recruitment since 2018 and 2019,” Mr. Mensah-Acheampong stated.
The clearance comes amid a growing workforce shortage, with over 105,000 qualified but unemployed health professionals across the country. The initial phase of recruitment is already underway. So far, the Ministry has successfully recruited 6,245 nurses and midwives out of 6,500 slots, 771 allied health professionals out of 900, 235 pharmacy professionals out of 250, and 300 physician assistants, reflecting a coordinated effort to fill gaps across multiple health disciplines.
Mr. Mensah-Acheampong emphasized that the recruitment aligns with the government’s Primary Healthcare policy, which focuses on preventive care, community-based services, and strengthening healthcare delivery in underserved areas.
Although 87 nursing positions remain unfilled in the Northern districts, the Ministry has assured that a mop-up exercise will be conducted in the coming weeks to absorb eligible applicants who were unable to complete the process.
Story by Efua Nessa
Source: Loco tv