The Ministry of Health said it has recruited 6,245 nurses and midwives under a nationwide hiring drive aimed at bolstering primary healthcare services in underserved communities, filling most of the 6,500 positions allocated for the category.

The recruitment forms part of the government’s broader push to expand access to free primary healthcare, with newly hired professionals expected to be deployed to districts facing acute staffing shortages.

The ministry said it had secured financial clearance from the Ministry of Finance to employ roughly 8,000 health workers overall, even as Ghana grapples with a backlog of about 105,000 unemployed but qualified health professionals.
Beyond the nursing intake, authorities also recruited 771 allied health professionals out of 900 available positions, 235 pharmacy professionals out of 250 slots, and 300 physician assistants.
Speaking at a press briefing in Accra, Frederick

Mensah-Acheampong, Director of Human Resources at the Ministry of Health, said 87 nursing vacancies in northern districts remain unfilled, though competition for positions was intense given the volume of applicants.

“We have received financial clearance to recruit about 8,000 health professionals from the Ministry of Finance,” Mr. Mensah-Acheampong said. “The Ministry acknowledges the anxiety and interest these recruitment exercises have generated, particularly given the backlog of about 105,000 unemployed health professionals, some of whom have been awaiting recruitment since 2018 and 2019.”

He said the hiring exercise was guided by the government’s primary healthcare policy, which emphasizes preventive care, community-based services and expanded healthcare access in rural and underserved areas.

Mr. Mensah-Acheampong added that the ministry plans to conduct a mop-up exercise in the coming weeks to accommodate eligible applicants who were unable to complete the recruitment process.

Source:TheDotNews