The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has revealed that Ghana has received formal requests from more than 13 countries interested in recruiting and deploying qualified nurses and other health professionals.
Mr. Akandoh made the disclosure on the floor of Parliament while updating the House on the recruitment of health workers, noting that the move forms part of the government’s strategy to reduce unemployment.
The Minister said the number of health workers currently seeking employment is substantial and far exceeds the commonly cited figure of 30,000.
According to him, a total of 48,878 nurses remain unemployed. This includes:
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15,947 from the 2021 batch,
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17,176 from the 2022 batch, and
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15,755 from the 2023 batch.
However, 15,000 nurses received financial clearance and were employed in December 2024, with the process of placing them on the government payroll still ongoing.
Mr. Akandoh also noted that no financial clearance has been granted for allied health professionals since 2019, leaving 21,570 of them unemployed.
Similarly, no financial clearance has been issued for pharmacists since 2019, resulting in 1,621 remaining without jobs.
Regarding medical doctors, the Minister said the ministry has begun the process of recruiting over 900 doctors who are currently unemployed and awaiting placement.
“The problem is, therefore, enormous,” he admitted, “but we are committed to finding solutions to it.”
