President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans for the Ministry of Health to reopen its recruitment portal to absorb 16,000 nurses in two phases.
The initiative is aimed at reducing the backlog of qualified nurses awaiting employment and posting in Ghana.
Under the arrangement, 8,000 nurses will be recruited in the first phase, followed by another 8,000 in the second phase.
President Mahama made the announcement during a durbar on the Free Primary Health Care Programme in Ho on Thursday, July 16, 2026, as part of his working visit to the Volta Region.
“I have told the Minister [of Health] that as the economy gets better, we will continue to improve your conditions of service so that you are encouraged to do what you have to do,” President Mahama said.
“Right now, we are giving him clearance to open the portal to absorb 16,000 nurses in two batches. The first batch is 8,000, and the second batch is 8,000, so that by the time my daughters and sons who are waiting to complete their training, there will be a shorter queue before they are posted,” he added.
The President said the government would continue to improve the conditions of service for health workers as the economy improved.
He praised nurses and other healthcare professionals for their contribution to the delivery of healthcare, describing them as among the country’s most important professional groups because they care for people at their most vulnerable moments.
Quoting Florence Nightingale, President Mahama urged health workers to continue providing compassionate care despite the challenges they may face.
“When you get to work, you must put all that aside because psychiatrists and psychologists will tell you that healing has to do with the mind. If the mind accepts that the body will heal, then the body heals quicker,” he said.
Incentives for Rural Postings
The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, disclosed that the Ministry was considering incentives to encourage health professionals to accept postings to underserved communities.
He said one proposal under consideration was to promote health workers who accept rural postings faster than their counterparts serving in urban areas.
“We are considering looking at promoting health professionals who accept postings to the rural areas quicker than those in the cities,” Mr Akandoh said.
The Minister also disclosed that the Ministry had introduced post-basic nursing programmes in specialised fields, including oncology and critical care nursing, to strengthen the capacity of health professionals.
He added that 32 scholarships had been awarded for PhD studies to support the training of health professionals in specialised areas.
