The Unemployed Nurses and Midwives Association has expressed deep disappointment after the Ministry of Health announced that 6,245 nurses and midwives were recruited from 6,500 available slots in a recent nationwide exercise.
Speaking on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5 FM, the association’s president, Mr Joseph Opata, said the recruitment portal had been opened specifically to accommodate the 2021 graduating batch, yet the government failed to recruit all eligible graduates from that cohort.
“We were hopeful when the recruitment announcement was made, but the outcome is far from what we expected,” Mr Opata said.
He told listeners that between 11,000 and 12,000 nurses and midwives from the 2021 batch remain unemployed and at home despite being qualified and available for deployment.
He urged the government to pause admissions into nursing and midwifery programmes if it cannot guarantee employment for existing graduates.
It is killing our youth emotionally,” he said, calling on stakeholders and government to urgently address the backlog.
Background
The Ministry of Health has recruited 6,245 nurses and midwives out of 6,500 available slots in a recent nationwide exercise aimed at strengthening primary healthcare delivery, particularly in underserved regions.
Backed by financial clearance from the Ministry of Finance to hire about 8,000 health professionals, the initiative addresses a national backlog of approximately 105,000 unemployed but qualified health workers.
The recruitment also successfully placed 771 allied health professionals out of 900 slots, 235 pharmacy professionals out of 250 slots, and 300 physician assistants.
At a press conference in Accra, Frederick Mensah-Acheampong, the director of human resources at the Ministry of Health, noted that while 87 nursing slots remain unfilled in northern districts, the process was highly competitive.
He emphasised that the exercise aligns with the government’s primary healthcare policy, which prioritises preventive care, community-based services, and rural healthcare delivery.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana