The Minority in Parliament has accused Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh of misleading health professionals with claims that the government has secured financial clearance for their recruitment and the payment of arrears.
During a press conference on Monday, October 13, Mr. Akandoh announced that Cabinet had approved financial clearance for various categories of health professionals, including doctors, nurses, and pharmacists.
However, at a counter press conference, the Ranking Member on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health and MP for Effiduase-Asokore, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie, disputed the minister’s assertions, describing them as deceptive.
According to Dr. Afriyie, the financial clearance for the recruitment of health professionals expired on December 31, 2024, under the previous administration, and the Mahama government failed to renew it.
He further alleged that although the former government had made budgetary allocations for the recruitment of 15,000 health workers, only about 7,000 to 8,000 were engaged before the change in administration.
The remaining personnel, he said, were later employed by the Ghana Health Service despite the expiration of their clearances.
The Minority argued that funds for the recruitment were already available, questioning the rationale behind the Health Minister’s decision to seek Cabinet approval for payments to the affected workers.
He asked, “Why didn’t the government see the need to seek an extension? Money was allocated for 15,000; you came in 7,000, and almost 8,000 have started. The remaining were employed by GHS. Albeit they were late, they were at post.
“You didn’t see the need to tell the institutions to reject them. Neither did the institutions tell you to reject them. What it meant was that they filled the gap and needed to be at post, and the institutions used them. Embarrassingly enough, you’re saying that you have taken it to the cabinet for approval. What sort of cabinet approval do you need when you have clearance already?”
Dr. Afriyie further accused the government of attempting to conceal what he described as “a mess” in the management of health sector employment issues.
“He’s throwing dust into the eyes of the people. The government created a mess, and they have seen that ten months have caught up with them, and they are fixing it,” he claimed.
The Minority reiterated that the Health Minister’s comments were misleading and urged him to provide the public with accurate information regarding the status of financial clearances and arrears payments for health professionals.
Source: Adomonline