By Hannah Dadzie
Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has announced that the first batch of Ghanaian health professionals is expected to depart for Jamaica in June 2026 following the signing of a bilateral agreement between the two countries.
The agreement, signed during the third session of the Ghana-Jamaica Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation in Accra, is aimed at facilitating the structured recruitment and deployment of Ghanaian health workers to Jamaica.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mr Akandoh described the agreement as a major milestone in the longstanding relationship between Ghana and Jamaica, built on shared history, heritage and South-South cooperation.
According to him, the Memorandum of Understanding seeks to establish a formal framework for the deployment of Ghanaian health professionals to Jamaica while strengthening healthcare delivery and workforce capacity in the Caribbean nation.
The Health Minister said the agreement would also create international employment opportunities for Ghanaian professionals, facilitate skills exchange and professional development, and deepen sustainable bilateral cooperation in the health sector.
Mr Akandoh stressed that Ghana remains committed to ethical recruitment practices consistent with international standards, fairness, transparency and mutual benefit.
He commended the Government of Jamaica for its commitment to fair labour conditions, professional protection, safe working environments and respect for professional standards for Ghanaian health workers.
“We believe this partnership will serve as a model for responsible international cooperation on health workforce in Africa and the Caribbean,” he stated.
The Minister disclosed that technical teams from both countries would immediately begin implementation arrangements, including operational coordination, credential verification, licensing processes, orientation programmes and welfare support systems for deployed personnel.
Jamaica’s Minister of Health and Wellness, Christopher Tufton, described the agreement as a significant step toward addressing workforce shortages in Jamaica’s health sector.
He said the partnership aligns with Jamaica’s Vision 2030 development agenda and the country’s Human Resources for Health Stabilisation Strategy.
Dr Tufton revealed that Jamaica had established an International Recruitment Unit to oversee all overseas recruitment efforts, including bilateral health workforce cooperation agreements. According to him, the unit would focus on addressing shortages in specialised areas such as nursing, midwifery, intensive care and other priority clinical services.
The Jamaican Health Minister said the agreement represented an important example of how countries of the Global South could work together to strengthen healthcare delivery systems through partnership and cooperation.
He added that Ghana and Jamaica would further deepen collaboration in areas including pharmaceutical cooperation, primary healthcare reform, national health insurance and the management of non-communicable diseases.
Dr Tufton also praised Ghana’s progress in universal health coverage and infectious disease control, expressing optimism that both countries would benefit from knowledge sharing and technical exchanges.
He noted that the agreement demonstrated that geographical distance was no barrier to international cooperation, stressing that technology, air travel and strong diplomatic relations had made such partnerships possible.
Both ministers expressed confidence that the agreement would strengthen ties between Ghana and Jamaica while improving healthcare systems and creating new opportunities for health professionals in both countries.
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