Minister for Health Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has announced that the government plans to train a minimum of 1,000 specialised nurses annually to help bridge critical workforce gaps in Ghana’s healthcare sector.
Addressing participants at the joint matriculation ceremony for the Specialised Nursing Programme on Thursday, June 25, the minister said the initiative is designed to enhance the expertise of nurses while creating more opportunities for healthcare professionals across the country.
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He explained that the programme, which is expected to be rolled out to additional training institutions nationwide, is part of the government’s broader strategy to tackle the persistent shortage of specialised healthcare personnel.
According to Mr Akandoh, despite Ghana having a substantial number of trained health workers, significant deficiencies remain in specialised areas of healthcare delivery.
He noted that these shortcomings often become apparent during engagements with international partners, many of whom require highly specialised competencies that are currently limited within the country.
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“I took over a sector that had more than 100,000 trained health professionals, yet there were major gaps because specialised expertise was lacking,” he stated.
The health minister stressed the importance of leadership focusing on practical solutions, questioning why Ghana should not expand its training capacity to satisfy both local healthcare needs and growing international demand for specialised professionals.
He added that although the programme initially faced scepticism and criticism, it has since gained considerable backing and is now poised for expansion.
“We are committed to training at least 1,000 students every year. This is only the start, and the programme will be replicated in other institutions across the country,” he said.