President John Dramani Mahama has urged health personnel across the country to accept postings in neglected regions, calling it as a national call to duty.
President Mahama praised achievements in Ghana’s health system during his 2026 State of the Nation Address in Parliament, but emphasized that more work has to be done.
“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.
According to the President, Ghana’s health worker density has grown dramatically, from 16.6 per 10,000 in 2025 to around 42 per 10,000 at present. The number of people employed in the public health sector has increased to almost 200,000, he added.
“When we assumed office at the beginning of 2025, approximately 103,000 trained health workers were awaiting placement, employment, or enrolment onto the government payroll,” he disclosed.
According to him, over the past year, 13,500 nurses and midwives, along with hundreds of doctors and pharmacists, have been absorbed into 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 said.
President Mahama assured Parliament that recruitment will continue.
“Government will expand recruitment and take steps to add more health workers onto the payroll. We will introduce targeted incentives to correct the uneven distribution of health personnel, particularly in underserved areas,” he noted.
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Joseph Asare
