President Mahama announces recruitment of 16,000 health workers this year

President John Dramani Mahama says government is targeting the recruitment of 16,000 health workers by the end of 2026 as part of efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery and address staffing gaps across the country.

Addressing the 68th Annual General Conference of the Ghana Medical Association, the President said 8,000 health workers had already been recruited this year, with another 8,000 expected to be engaged before the end of the year.

President Mahama said the recruitment forms part of government’s commitment to establishing a more predictable annual recruitment cycle for health professionals.

He noted that in the past, some categories of health professionals, including pharmacists and allied health workers, had waited as long as five years for a recruitment exercise.

He said regular recruitment would enable health facilities to plan their services more effectively while giving qualified professionals greater certainty about their entry into the public health service.

The President also disclosed that government recruited 13,500 nurses and midwives onto the public payroll last year.

He said the Ministries of Health and Finance were collaborating on recruitment and housemanship arrangements, taking into consideration funding, service requirements and accredited supervision.

President Mahama called for closer coordination among the relevant institutions to ensure that recruitment is sustained and aligned with the country’s healthcare needs.