Over 130 health workers from Ghana have left the country for Antigua and Barbuda in the Caribbean to provide services in midwifery, mental health, and general healthcare.
The move is part of a three-year contract under the government’s Labour Exchange Programme.
Speaking at the send-off ceremony on Monday, January 26, 2025, health minister Kwabena Mintah-Akandoh explained that the initiative aims to address the problem of unemployment among graduate nurses in Ghana.
Qualified But Unemployed: Ghana’s 70,000 health workers await jobs as foreign offers grow
“We inherited a backlog of more than 80,000 health professionals who have completed their degrees but remain without jobs. As part of government intervention to create employment, especially for health professionals, we are exploring opportunities where other countries have requested our health professionals to work with them,” he said.
He further noted that Antigua is just the beginning, with plans underway for similar arrangements with Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad, adding that the deployment will be done in batches.
Unemployed graduate nurses threaten demo
Mintah Akandah said while some health professionals continue to be employed within Ghana, the government is actively exploring opportunities for others abroad.
“As the government absorbs some internally in our various health facilities, we are also exploring other avenues outside the country”, he added.
Qualified But Unemployed: Ghana’s 70,000 health workers await jobs as foreign offers grow
“We inherited a backlog of more than 80,000 health professionals who have completed their degrees but remain without jobs. As part of government intervention to create employment, especially for health professionals, we are exploring opportunities where other countries have requested our health professionals to work with them,” he said.
He further noted that Antigua is just the beginning, with plans underway for similar arrangements with Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad, adding that the deployment will be done in batches.
Unemployed graduate nurses threaten demo
Mintah-Akandoh also emphasised that while some health professionals continue to be employed within Ghana, the government is actively exploring opportunities for others abroad.
“As the government absorbs some internally in our various health facilities, we are also exploring other avenues outside the country,” he added.
Watch the video below:
✈️ About 130 Ghanaian health professionals have departed for Antigua under the government’s Labour Exchange Programme, securing three-year contracts abroad.
The departure ceremony at the Kotoka International Airport was led by Chief of Staff Julius Debrah on behalf of the… pic.twitter.com/pjTCXVBLWU
— CITI FM 97.3 (@Citi973) January 26, 2026
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Source:
www.ghanaweb.com