Ministry of Health Clarifies Ongoing National Recruitment of Health Professionals

The Ministry of Health has issued a detailed update on its ongoing recruitment process for health professionals across the country, addressing public concerns over delays and limited intake amid a large backlog of unemployed applicants.

In its statement, the Ministry acknowledged the growing interest in the exercise, noting that it is managing an inherited backlog of more than 105,000 unemployed health professionals across various cadres.

It explained that previous large-scale recruitment exercises for key health categories took place several years ago, with nurses last recruited in 2020, pharmacists and allied health professionals in 2019, and physician assistants in 2018.

According to the Ministry, the government is currently unable to recruit all qualified professionals at once due to financial constraints. However, it reaffirmed its commitment to progressively expanding recruitment opportunities across all categories.

The current financial clearance covers approximately 8,000 health workers, spanning nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, pharmacy personnel, and physician assistants.

A significant portion of the recruitment has been aligned with the Free Primary Healthcare (FPHC) Policy, with emphasis placed on preventive, community-based, and primary healthcare delivery, particularly in underserved areas.

The Ministry indicated that regional allocations were guided by staffing needs and gap analyses submitted by key health agencies, including the Ghana Health Service, CHAG, Ahmadiyya Health Services, and the Mental Health Authority. A recruitment committee comprising human resource directors from these institutions supported the allocation process.

Priority was given to cadres considered critical to primary healthcare delivery, including 6,500 nurses and midwives, especially community health nurses and public health nurses, 900 allied health professionals with emphasis on laboratory and health information officers, 250 pharmacy personnel focusing on pharmacy technicians, and 300 physician assistants.

This also includes those previously recruited but yet to be placed on the payroll.

The Ministry further explained that a recruitment portal was introduced to improve transparency and facilitate district-level recruitment, although it acknowledged concerns raised by applicants and assured that improvements are being made.

It added that the government remains aware of the need to expand staffing levels to improve healthcare delivery nationwide and will continue discussions with the Ministry of Finance to secure additional financial clearance for future recruitment rounds.

The Ministry concluded that the recruitment portal will be reopened once additional approvals are obtained, reaffirming its commitment to transparency and equitable access to public sector employment in the health sector.