The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has directed newly recruited health professionals posted to health facilities across the country to report to their assigned duty stations by Thursday, August 20, 2026, or risk forfeiting their appointments.

He said the deadline is intended to enable the Ministry to quickly fill vacancies created by recruits who fail to take up their postings, ensuring that health facilities have adequate staff.

Speaking during a courtesy call by members of the Coalition of Unpaid Nurses and Midwives on Wednesday, August 12, Mr Akandoh said the Ministry secured financial clearance before commencing the recruitment exercise to prevent newly recruited health professionals from working without receiving their salaries.

According to him, the decision was deliberate to avoid the accumulation of salary arrears, which has affected health professionals recruited in previous years.

“I waited till I had financial clearance before we started doing that, and so those who reported early have even gotten their salaries, and so we are not going to pile any arrears this time around,” he said.

He urged recruits who are yet to report to do so by the August 20 deadline.

“Those who have not reported, with the greatest of respect, they must report before or on August 20. If you don’t go after the 20th, it means that you will not go and you may forfeit that opportunity,” he added.

Mr Akandoh said the Ministry would subsequently undertake a mop-up exercise to replace recruits who fail to accept their postings.

“Immediately after that, we will do what we call a mop-up exercise so that those who didn’t accept the postings, we will have to find their replacement,” he said.

The Minister stressed that the government could not keep vacant positions open indefinitely for recruits who fail to report, particularly at a time when health facilities require additional personnel.

The directive means newly recruited health professionals who fail to report to their assigned facilities by August 20 could lose their appointments and be replaced during the planned mop-up exercise.