Accra: The Ministry of Health (MoH) has successfully recruited thousands of health professionals across the nation as part of a comprehensive initiative aimed at enhancing healthcare delivery in underserved areas. This recruitment aligns with the government's free primary healthcare initiative, receiving financial clearance from the Ministry of Finance to employ approximately 8,000 health workers.
According to Ghana Web, the recruitment drive resulted in the hiring of 6,245 nurses and midwives, out of the 6,500 available slots. Additionally, 771 out of 900 allied health professionals, 235 out of 250 pharmacy professionals, and 300 physician assistants were employed.
Frederick Mensah-Acheampong, the Director of Human Resources at the Ministry of Health, emphasized the initiative's goal to support the government's primary healthcare agenda by deploying trained personnel to areas facing critical staffing shortages. Although 87 nursing positions remain unfilled in some northern districts, the exercise was marked by high competition due to a large number of qualified applicants.
Mensah-Acheampong highlighted that the Ministry has received financial clearance to recruit about 8,000 health professionals, addressing the concerns of approximately 105,000 unemployed health professionals, some of whom have been waiting for recruitment since 2018 and 2019. The recruitment process is aligned with the government's Primary Healthcare policy, focusing on preventive healthcare, community-based services, and improved access to medical care in deprived communities.
He further revealed plans for a mop-up exercise in the coming weeks to include eligible applicants who could not complete the recruitment process.