We Are Awaiting Clearance to Recruit 8,000 Nurses — Health Minister

The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has said the government is awaiting financial clearance from the Finance Minister to recruit an additional 8,000 nurses this year.

During a courtesy call on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, at the Manhyia Palace on Friday, July 24, 2026, he noted that about 100,000 nurses remain at home without posting.

He announced that 8,000 nurses have already been recruited, and the government intends to recruit 16,000 in total as part of efforts to bridge staffing gaps and strengthen healthcare delivery.

“We are awaiting clearance from the Finance Minister to recruit 8,000 more this year,” he said. “The goal is to ensure that our facilities are adequately staffed to deliver on Universal Health Coverage.”

The Minister also revealed that plans are far advanced to export some of the unemployed nurses to work abroad.

“We are collaborating with some countries to send some of the nurses there to work. We currently have over 46 MoUs pending on our desks,” he stated.

According to him, the initiative will not only provide jobs for Ghanaian nurses but also generate foreign exchange to support the health sector.

Otumfuo commended the government for the steps being taken to address nurse unemployment and urged the Ministry to expedite the recruitment and deployment process to reduce pressure on existing health workers.

The Health Minister was accompanied by the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Samuel Akoriyea Kaba, and other officials.

Story by Hajara Fuseini

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