The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has revealed that a total of 5,000 members—many with years of professional experience—underwent the process of leaving Ghana to seek better opportunities abroad.
Responding to inquiries regarding the brain drain within the health sector, the GRNMA’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Philimon Gyapong, spoke on Nyankonton Mu Nsem via Rainbow Radio 87.5FM.
He identified poor conditions of service as the primary factor driving experienced professionals to exit the country.
Mr. Gyapong emphasized that these figures represent professionals already in active practice, rather than new graduates awaiting employment.
The disclosure comes amid discussions surrounding the government’s recent Labour Export Programme, which saw a first batch of 121 health professionals depart for Antigua and Barbuda.
However, Mr. Gyapong clarified that the nearly 6,000 departures are unrelated to government-led initiatives. Instead, these are individuals who secured their own opportunities and chose to relocate independently.
He attributed this high demand to the quality of Ghanaian training, noting that the country’s nurses and midwives are globally recognized, making it easier for them to find work anywhere in the world.
Mr. Gyapong provided further context on the verification process required for health workers to practice abroad: “I may not be able to provide the exact number of members of GRNMA that left Ghana in 2025 to other countries. However, for those that were verified through our systems because they want to travel abroad to work, the number was 5,000. Not less than 5,000 nurses and midwives verify themselves or go through the process seeking to travel abroad to work. That is the data.”
He further explained the timeline of these departures saying “When they verify, they don’t get to travel right away; it takes between one to three or more months before they go. A lot of them are going through processes they initiated themselves to move out of the country. This is different from the bilateral arrangements introduced by the government of Ghana and other countries.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
