The Ministry of Health has issued a statement clarifying concerns surrounding the ongoing recruitment of health professionals across the country, acknowledging the anxiety generated by the exercise due to a backlog of more than 105,000 unemployed health workers.

In a press release signed by Ministry spokesperson Tony Goodman on May 14, 2026, the Ministry noted that the last major recruitment exercises for various professional categories were conducted several years ago.

According to the statement, nurses were last recruited in 2020, pharmacists and allied health professionals in 2019, while physician assistants were last recruited in 2018.

The Ministry explained that government is unable to recruit all health professionals at once but remains committed to creating employment opportunities for all categories of health workers over time.

It stated that the current financial clearance covers the recruitment of approximately 8,000 health professionals and support staff across various categories.

The Ministry said the recruitment process is being guided by the objectives of the Free Primary Healthcare (FPHC) Policy, with a focus on strengthening preventive, community-based, and primary healthcare delivery, especially in underserved communities.

It further explained that regional allocations were determined using staffing norms and annual human resource requirements submitted by the Ghana Health Service (GHS), CHAG, Ahmadiyya Health Services, and the Mental Health Authority.

A Recruitment Committee made up of Human Resource Directors from the relevant agencies was also engaged to determine allocations based on staffing needs and identified gaps.

According to the Ministry, regions with greater staffing shortages and healthcare demands received higher allocations.

The statement indicated that priority was given to specific professional cadres considered critical to achieving the objectives of the FPHC Policy.

Out of the planned recruitment, 6,500 positions were allocated to nurses and midwives, with emphasis on Nurse Assistant Preventive, Community Health Nurses, and Public Health Nurses to support home visits and community-based healthcare.

Additionally, 900 positions were allocated to allied health professionals, particularly Laboratory Technicians and Health Information Officers, while 250 positions were reserved for pharmacy professionals and technicians.

The Ministry also disclosed that 300 physician assistants recruited in 2024 but yet to be mechanized onto the payroll were prioritized in the current exercise.

To improve transparency and support district-level recruitment, the Ministry introduced a new recruitment portal and said feedback received on the system is being considered to improve user experience.

The Ministry acknowledged that more health professionals are still needed nationwide and assured that it will continue engaging the Ministry of Finance to secure additional financial clearance for future recruitment.

It added that the recruitment portal will be reopened whenever additional clearance is granted.