The Ministry of Health has announced major progress in its ongoing nationwide recruitment of health professionals, revealing that over 7,200 applications have already been successfully submitted under a new recruitment exercise aimed at strengthening healthcare delivery, particularly in underserved communities.
Addressing a press conference in Accra on Monday, Director of Human Resource for Health Development, Frederick Mensah Acheampong, said the recruitment exercise forms part of government’s broader Free Primary Healthcare (FPHC) policy designed to expand preventive and community-based healthcare services across the country.
According to him, government received financial clearance in April this year to recruit about 8,000 health professionals despite the growing backlog of more than 105,000 unemployed health workers nationwide.
He explained that the recruitment process was guided by staffing needs submitted by agencies under the Ministry, including the Ghana Health Service (GHS), CHAG, Mental Health Authority and Ahmadiyya Health Services, with priority given to deprived districts and cadres considered critical to the success of the FPHC programme.
Mr. Acheampong disclosed that northern regions and underserved districts received the highest allocations, while districts such as Ada West, Ada East and Ningo-Prampram in the Greater Accra Region were specifically prioritised under the current exercise.
He noted that preventive healthcare professionals, especially Nurse Assistant Preventive (NAP) and Registered Public Health Nurses (RPHN), received significant attention, accounting for more than 40 per cent of the 6,500 nursing vacancies approved.
The Ministry also touted the introduction of a new digital recruitment portal, describing it as a major intervention to improve transparency, reduce recruitment imbalances and support district-level hiring.
According to data presented at the briefing, approximately 53,440 records from various professional categories were uploaded onto the system, including over 30,000 allied health professionals, nearly 17,000 nurses and midwives, and more than 4,600 physician assistants.
The Ministry further revealed that nearly 30,000 applicants initiated accounts on the portal, while over 2,600 failed to complete their profiles.
Figures released by the Ministry showed Registered General Nurses recorded the highest number of applications nationwide, followed by Registered Midwives and Nurse Assistant Preventive applicants.
In what officials described as a significant development, West Mamprusi District in the northern part of the country recorded the highest number of successful applications nationwide, with more than 90 applicants selecting the district.
The Ministry said some recruitment quotas, particularly for Registered Public Health Nurses and Mental Health Nurses in northern districts, remained unfilled due to low patronage.
So far, 6,245 nursing and midwifery applications have been successfully submitted out of the 6,500 available slots, while 771 allied health applications were completed out of 900 openings. Pharmacy and pharmacy technician applications reached 235 out of 250 vacancies.
Authorities indicated that more than 87 vacancies still remain open, mostly in northern Ghana, and would be addressed through an upcoming mop-up exercise expected to begin in the coming weeks.
Mr. Acheampong announced that successful applicants would undergo district-level interviews to verify certificates and professional documentation before assumption of duty.
He said recruited professionals are expected to officially begin work on July 1, 2026.
The Ministry also disclosed that discussions are ongoing with the Ministry of Finance to secure additional financial clearance for further recruitment before the end of the year.
Beyond the current exercise, government says plans are underway to recruit more Medical Officers to serve in deprived and rural communities across the country.
Additionally, over 6,000 volunteer health professionals, particularly Nurse Assistant Preventive graduates from 2022 onwards, are expected to benefit from a new stipend-based volunteer engagement programme to support the Free Primary Healthcare initiative.
Responding to questions regarding the recruitment process and fairness, Tony Goodman, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, told the media that the portal replaces informal recruitment practices that previously relied on word-of-mouth and private networks.
Goodman said the new system allows applicants to register directly regardless of political affiliation or personal connections, describing it as part of government’s efforts to make recruitment fairer and more transparent.
He acknowledged that heavy traffic on the portal created functionality challenges during the application period. According to him, because many users accessed the system simultaneously, some applicants were able to complete submissions earlier than others, creating perceptions of unfairness.
Officials reaffirmed government’s commitment to expanding employment opportunities within the health sector while improving equitable healthcare delivery nationwide in line with Ghana’s Universal Health Coverage and Sustainable Development Goal targets.
Story by Osman Issah Abadoo
