The Ministry of Health has reacted to the red listing of Ghana in relation to the recruitment of health workers by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Kingdom (UK).
According to the spokesperson of the Ministry, Isaac Baah Offei, the report is not a true reflection on the ground.
“This report is not a true reflection and so we won’t accept it. We called them [WHO] to come and explain the statistics used to us. We are improving on our health system and our work force is far above so why would they put us on red alert,” he said in an interview on Adom FM’s morning show Dwaso Nsem Wednesday.
Ghana was included on a list of 54 countries that should not be targeted for recruitment by health and social care employers in the UK due to a UHC Service Coverage Index lower than 50 and a density of doctors, nurses, and midwives below the global median.
But to Mr. Baah Offei, they have already met officials of WHO on the report and is hopeful the next report will reflect the improvements made in Ghana’s health sector.
He said although they have backlogs of nurses, they are trying their best to recruit them.
“We are waiting for financial clearance from the Ministry of Finance. If we get it today, the portal will be opened for nurses to apply” he stated.
Mr. Baah Offei also revealed that, the Health Minister is not happy about the migration of nurses from Ghana.
He however added that, his outfit is working on regularising the migration of nurses and also put in place stringent measures to manage the process.
