The Ashanti Regional Director of Health, Dr. Emmanuel Tinkorang is urging government to recruit nurses to fill the huge gap left by the departure of these health professionals from the country.

He expressed his frustration over the unemployment situation among nurses in Ghana saying the number of nurses in the health facilities is inadequate.

Speaking at the launch of 2024 Nurses and Midwives Week in the Ashanti region, he called on government to take pragmatic steps in recruiting nurses currently awaiting posting.

"Why would we be crying for a shortage of nurses while we have nurses staying in the house after school for over 4 years? We cannot be complaining while there are solutions available to the problem".

Dr. Tinkorang downplayed the claim of financial constraints in employing more nurses suggesting government employs these nurses with the salaries of those who have left.

"As a country, we must look at possible ways to recruit these nurses and one of the ways to do this is by using the salaries of nurses who have traveled out of the country. The nurses were taking salary before leaving, so what happens to that salary since they are not working in the country anymore?"

On health infrastructure development and access to quality health services, Dr. Tinkorang revealed that all new hospitals built in the region especially the Fomena hospital will be operationalized as specialist hospitals to improve health care in the region.

"In order to ensure universal coverage as this year's theme implies; all newly established hospitals in the region are being converted into a specialist hospitals. For example, the Fomena hospital will have specialist to attend to gynaecological cases in or to reduce maternal and child mortality," he added.