The Government of Grenada has announced its intention to recruit Ghanaian nurses and allied health professionals to help address a critical shortage of health workers in the Caribbean nation.

The move aligns with Ghana’s Work Abroad Programme aimed at creating more job opportunities for skilled professionals.

This was disclosed during the inaugural Ghana–Grenada political consultation in Accra, led by Dickon Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada, who is on a three-day state visit.

The visit is expected to deepen bilateral relations between the two countries in key areas, including health, education, climate change, trade, and investment.

Grenada’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Export Development, Joseph Andall, highlighted the country’s urgent need for nurses, describing it as one of their most pressing national challenges.

“We welcome the initiative that has been undertaken in terms of the provision of health care professionals, namely nurses. This is an area in which we have a severe shortage,” he said.

“We spend huge sums of money to train our nurses and then they are approached by countries that can afford to give them better remuneration packages.”

Joseph Andall explained that the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two governments will serve as a framework for structured collaboration in health.

He added that the partnership also reflects a shared commitment to Pan-African solidarity and mutual development.

“This MoU, when signed, will be a testament to what can be achieved when sisters and brothers come together for mutual assistance,” he noted.

Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said the government is keen on leveraging such partnerships to create opportunities for Ghanaian professionals while strengthening South-South cooperation.

“On health cooperation, we particularly welcome Grenada’s interest in recruiting Ghanaian nurses and allied health professionals and look forward to the signing of the memorandum of understanding on health cooperation, which will serve as a framework for this structured collaboration,” he said.

He added that the discussions also covered education and skills development, with a commitment to address challenges faced by some Ghanaian students in Grenada under the Scholarship Secretariat.

The Ghana–Grenada talks also touched on broader areas of collaboration, including trade and investment, climate change, tourism, and multilateral engagements.

Joseph Andall stressed the importance of partnerships between Africa and the Caribbean, noting that small island states like Grenada — with a population of about 120,000 — depend on strong international cooperation to address shared challenges such as climate vulnerability and economic migration.

“We are tiny islands in the Caribbean with very small populations. A rising and strong Africa could help lift our sisters and brothers in South and Central America out of the difficulties they are currently facing,” he added.

Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell’s visit is expected to conclude with a series of high-level engagements with John Dramani Mahama and other government officials, aimed at formalising agreements and strengthening bilateral relations between Ghana and Grenada.