Free Primary Healthcare drives recruitment: 6,500 nurses, 900 allied health, 300 physician assistants to be hired
The Ministry of Health has moved to clarify the ongoing recruitment of health professionals across the country, acknowledging the anxiety and intense interest the exercise has generated, particularly given the inherited backlog of more than 105,000 unemployed health professionals.
In a press release issued on Thursday, May 14, 2026, the Ministry disclosed that the last batches of recruitment across various professional categories occurred as far back as 2020 for nurses, 2019 for pharmacists, 2019 for allied health professionals, and 2018 for physician assistants. The figures underline the prolonged freeze that has left tens of thousands of trained health workers waiting years for employment.
The Ministry noted that the government is unable to recruit all professionals at once, but confirmed that current financial clearance for health professionals and support staff covers the recruitment of about 8,000 staff across all categories.
"The Ministry remains committed to creating recruitment opportunities for all categories of health professionals, as demonstrated in the current process. Quality healthcare delivery depends on effective teamwork across all professional cadres," the statement read.
Priority cadres under Free Primary Healthcare Policy
The recruitment exercise is heavily guided by the objectives of the Free Primary Healthcare Policy, with emphasis on strengthening preventive, community-based, and primary healthcare delivery, particularly in underserved areas.
Cadres considered most critical were prioritised as follows: Nurses and Midwives received the largest allocation of 6,500 positions, with greater priority given to Nurse Assistant Preventive, Community Health Nurses, and Public Health Nurses to support home visits and community-based healthcare delivery. Allied Health Professionals received 900 positions, with greater priority given to Laboratory Technicians and Health Information Officers to strengthen service delivery from the Community-based Health Planning and Services level to the polyclinic level. Pharmacy and Pharmacy Technicians received 250 positions, with emphasis placed on technicians to strengthen pharmaceutical service delivery. Physician Assistants received 300 positions, with those recruited in 2024 but awaiting mechanisation onto the payroll prioritised.
Regional allocations
In the interest of transparency, regional allocations were based on staffing norms and annual human resource requirements submitted by the Ghana Health Service, CHAG, Ahmadiyya Health Services, and the Mental Health Authority. The Ministry engaged key stakeholders through a Recruitment Committee made up of Human Resource Directors from the relevant agencies. Allocations were determined based on staffing needs and gap analyses, with regions facing greater staffing gaps and healthcare needs receiving higher allocations.
New recruitment portal
To further enhance transparency and support direct district-level recruitment, the Ministry introduced a new recruitment portal. Feedback on the system has been taken in good faith to improve user experience.
Looking ahead
The Ministry acknowledged that more health professionals are needed to expand access to quality healthcare delivery across the country. It pledged to continue engaging the Ministry of Finance to secure additional financial clearance for further recruitment, and stated that the recruitment portal will be reopened whenever additional financial clearance is granted.
The statement was signed by Tony Goodman, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health.
