The Minister for Health, Kwabena Minta Akandoh, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening the country's healthcare workforce, with strategic investments in employment, training, and welfare for health professionals.

Addressing the nation during the Government’s Accountability Series on Friday, July 18, the Minister acknowledged the long-standing challenge of over 70,000 qualified but unemployed health workers.

He assured the public that the government is actively working to reduce this backlog, announcing that over 10,000 nurses and midwives have been successfully employed within the past six months.

“We recognise the challenge of over 70,000 qualified health workers currently awaiting employment, but I want to assure you that we are 6 working tirelessly to clear this backlog. In the past six months alone, we have successfully finalised the employment process of over 10,000 nurses and midwives, with many more to come,” Mr Akandoh noted.

As part of efforts to clear arrears and enhance morale within the sector, the Minister revealed that the salary arrears of 321 Pharmacist House Officers who completed their training in 2024 are now being processed. He disclosed that 1,621 qualified pharmacists awaiting permanent employment have been prioritised for recruitment.

"I am proud to share that we have taken decisive steps to clear the salary arrears for 321 Pharmacist House Officers who completed training in 2024, with payments now being processed. While 1,621 qualified pharmacists await permanent employment, we are prioritising their recruitment as part of strengthening our health workforce. This is just one example of our broader commitment to clearing the backlog across all health worker cadres, ensuring every qualified professional has the chance to serve and strengthen Ghana’s health system."

The Minister also outlined government plans to complement local recruitment with managed migration and private sector partnerships. He revealed that over 13 countries have expressed interest in recruiting Ghanaian health workers, adding that policies are being formulated to ensure such migration benefits both the professionals and the nation’s health system.

"To complement government recruitment, we are exploring managed migration and private sector options. Regarding managed migration opportunities, 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."

In a bid to improve access to quality education, over 40 nursing, midwifery, and allied health colleges have begun the accreditation process to offer degree programmes.

"Over the past six months, we have guided more than 40 nursing, midwifery, and allied health colleges through the accreditation process to offer degree programmes alongside their existing diploma courses, a significant step forward for quality education," he said.