President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans to recruit 16,000 nurses in two phases as part of efforts to strengthen Ghana’s healthcare system and improve access to quality medical services nationwide.
Speaking during a durbar with health professionals at the Ho Municipal Hospital in the Volta Region, the President said the government will recruit an initial 8,000 nurses, followed by another 8,000, to address staffing shortages and ensure newly trained nurses are deployed without prolonged delays.
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He said many of the recruits will be posted to underserved communities to improve access to healthcare where it is needed most.
President Mahama commended the management and staff of the Ho Municipal Hospital for a century of dedicated service, describing the facility as a key pillar of healthcare delivery in the Volta Region.
He urged nurses and other health workers to continue providing compassionate care, emphasising the vital role they play in supporting patients.
“Health is our most precious possession. Nothing you own is more valuable than your health,” he said.
The President also highlighted the government’s Free Primary Healthcare Programme, which aims to eliminate out-of-pocket payments for basic healthcare services at polyclinics, health centres and Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds.
He said the programme will place equal emphasis on disease prevention through community outreach, health education and routine health screening.
President Mahama encouraged Ghanaians to undergo regular medical check-ups, warning that conditions such as hypertension and diabetes often go undetected until they become life-threatening.
He also highlighted the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, popularly known as Mahama Cares, which supports patients living with serious non-communicable diseases, including cancer, kidney disease and cardiovascular conditions.
The President further announced plans to reactivate a Korean-supported project to upgrade infrastructure at Ho Teaching Hospital, while revealing that additional cardiac centres are planned for Ho and Takoradi.
He said the combined implementation of the Free Primary Healthcare Programme, the National Health Insurance Scheme and Mahama Cares will move Ghana closer to achieving Universal Health Coverage.
