File photo of health workers
President John Dramani Mahama has urged health workers to accept postings to underserved communities, describing the move as a patriotic obligation necessary to strengthen healthcare delivery across the country.
Delivering the 2026 State of the Nation Address in Parliament, on February 27, 2026, the president acknowledged progress in the health sector but stressed that significant gaps remain, particularly in the equitable distribution of personnel.
“I appeal to our gallant health workers to accept postings to underserved areas. It is a national call to duty, while we work to ensure they have an enabling environment to carry out their responsibilities,” he stated.
He disclosed that Ghana’s health workforce density has risen sharply from 16.6 per 10,000 people in 2025 to nearly 42 per 10,000 currently.
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Public sector health employment, he added, has doubled to approximately 200,000 workers.
According to President Mahama, when his administration assumed office in early 2025, about 103,000 trained health professionals were awaiting placement, employment, or enrolment onto the government payroll.
He said over the past year, 13,500 nurses and midwives, alongside hundreds of doctors and pharmacists have been absorbed onto the public payroll.
“We have restored and regularized nursing trainee allowances, reduced application fees, and extended the No-Fee Stress initiative to ease access to training. Service conditions are also being implemented to improve morale and retention,” he noted.
The president assured Parliament that recruitment efforts will continue, adding that targeted incentives will be introduced to address disparities in staffing, particularly in hard-to-reach and underserved communities.
MRA/AE
LIVESTREAMING: President Mahama presents 2026 State of the Nation Address
