Ghana recruits over 6,200 nurses and midwives
The Ministry of Health has announced the successful recruitment of 6,245 nurses and midwives as part of a nationwide exercise aimed at bolstering primary healthcare delivery, particularly in communities that have historically struggled with inadequate medical staffing.
The recruitment, which filled the majority of 6,500 available slots, forms part of the government’s broader free primary healthcare initiative.
It is designed to deploy trained professionals to areas with critical shortages and improve access to essential health services at the community level.
Beyond nurses and midwives, the exercise also placed 771 out of 900 allied health professionals, 235 out of 250 pharmacy professionals, and 300 physician assistants. Overall, the Ministry of Finance granted financial clearance for the recruitment of approximately 8,000 health professionals in total.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra, Ministry of Health Director of Human Resources Frederick Mensah-Acheampong acknowledged the significance of the exercise against the backdrop of a backlog of roughly 105,000 qualified but unemployed health workers across the country, some of whom have been awaiting placement since 2018 and 2019.
He noted that around 87 nursing slots in the Northern districts remain unfilled, attributing this to the highly competitive nature of the exercise given the large pool of qualified applicants.
A mop-up exercise is expected to be held in the coming weeks to absorb eligible candidates who were unable to complete the process during the main recruitment window.
The Ministry described the exercise as aligned with the government’s Primary Healthcare policy, which prioritises preventive care, community-based services, and equitable access to health facilities in underserved areas.
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