The Ministry of Health has sought to address concerns surrounding the nationwide recruitment of health professionals, noting the high level of public interest and anxiety caused by the exercise, especially amid a backlog of over 105,000 unemployed health workers inherited by the government.
n a statement released on Thursday, May 14, 2026, the Ministry revealed that the most recent recruitment exercises were conducted several years ago in 2020 for nurses, 2019 for pharmacists and allied health professionals, and 2018 for physician assistants. These timelines highlight the extended recruitment gap that has left many qualified health professionals without jobs for years.
The Ministry explained that the government does not have the capacity to employ all health professionals simultaneously, but stated that the current financial clearance allows for the recruitment of approximately 8,000 health professionals and support staff across various categories.
“The Ministry remains committed to creating recruitment opportunities for all categories of health professionals, as demonstrated in the current process. Quality healthcare delivery depends on effective teamwork across all professional cadres,” the statement said.
The recruitment process is strongly aligned with the goals of the Free Primary Healthcare Policy, focusing on improving preventive care, community-based services, and primary healthcare delivery, especially in underserved communities.
he recruitment priorities were set according to the most critical healthcare cadres. Nurses and midwives were allocated the highest number of slots 6,500 in total with special focus on Nurse Assistant Preventive, Community Health Nurses, and Public Health Nurses to enhance home-based care and community outreach services.
Allied Health Professionals were given 900 positions, prioritising Laboratory Technicians and Health Information Officers to improve healthcare delivery from the Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) level up to polyclinics.
The Pharmacy category was allocated 250 positions, with a stronger emphasis on pharmacy technicians to support pharmaceutical services. Physician Assistants received 300 slots, with priority given to those recruited in 2024 who are yet to be placed on the payroll system.
Distribution across regions
To ensure transparency, the regional distribution was guided by established staffing standards and yearly human resource needs submitted by the Ghana Health Service, CHAG, Ahmadiyya Health Services, and the Mental Health Authority. The Ministry also consulted key stakeholders through a Recruitment Committee comprising Human Resource Directors from the respective agencies. The final allocations were based on assessed staffing deficits and service demands, with regions experiencing larger workforce shortages and higher healthcare needs receiving more personnel.
New recruitment portal
To improve transparency and enable direct recruitment at the district level, the Ministry has launched a new recruitment portal. It also noted that feedback received on the platform is being positively considered to enhance the user experience.
Future outlook
The Ministry recognized the need for a larger health workforce to improve access to quality healthcare nationwide. It further committed to working with the Ministry of Finance to obtain additional financial clearance for future hiring, and indicated that the recruitment portal will be reopened once further approval is secured.
