The Ministry of Health has revealed that 6,245 nurses and midwives have been employed out of 6,500 positions made available through the recent nationwide recruitment exercise aimed at boosting primary healthcare services, especially in deprived communities.
The recruitment forms part of government’s wider free primary healthcare agenda, with the initiative focused on assigning trained personnel to areas experiencing severe staff shortages in order to improve access to basic healthcare delivery.
In total, the Ministry received approval from the Ministry of Finance to employ about 8,000 health workers, despite the country currently having an estimated backlog of 105,000 qualified but unemployed health professionals.
Beyond the nurses and midwives, the exercise also resulted in the recruitment of 771 allied health professionals out of 900 available slots, 235 pharmacy professionals from a target of 250, as well as 300 physician assistants.
Addressing journalists at a press briefing in Accra, Frederick Mensah-Acheampong, Director of Human Resources at the Ministry of Health, stated that although around 87 nursing vacancies in northern districts are yet to be filled, competition during the recruitment process was intense because of the high number of qualified applicants.
He explained that the exercise is being carried out in line with government’s Primary Healthcare policy, which prioritises preventive healthcare, community-based medical services, and stronger healthcare systems in underserved parts of the country.
According to him, the Ministry of Finance granted financial clearance for the recruitment of roughly 8,000 health professionals, while acknowledging the concerns and expectations surrounding the process due to the large number of unemployed qualified workers, many of whom have remained without placement since 2018 and 2019.
Mr Mensah-Acheampong also disclosed that authorities plan to organise a mop-up exercise in the coming weeks to accommodate eligible applicants who were unable to complete the recruitment process.