Over 70,000 Unemployed Health Workers in Ghana: 13 Countries Show Interest in Recruitment
Ghana’s Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has revealed that more than 70,000 trained but unemployed doctors, nurses, and other health professionals are currently seeking jobs across the country — a figure far higher than the previously reported 30,000.
Addressing Parliament, Mr. Akandoh provided a breakdown of the unemployment figures:
• Unemployed nurses total 48,878, including:
• 15,947 from the 2021 batch
• 17,176 from the 2022 batch
• 15,755 from the 2023 batch
He noted that around 15,000 nurses received financial clearance and were employed in December 2024, but many are still awaiting formal placement on the government payroll.
The Minister further disclosed that no financial clearance has been granted for allied health professionals since 2019, resulting in 21,570 of them remaining jobless. Likewise, 1,621 pharmacists are unemployed due to a lack of recruitment since 2019.
Regarding medical doctors, Mr. Akandoh said over 900 doctors are currently unemployed and awaiting placement. He assured Parliament that efforts are underway to address the situation.
“This is a serious challenge,” he acknowledged, “but we are determined to find solutions.”
As part of those solutions, Mr. Akandoh said the government is considering “managed migration” — a temporary measure that allows qualified health workers to take up employment abroad while efforts continue to expand local job opportunities.
He revealed that more than 13 countries have officially expressed interest in hiring Ghanaian nurses and health professionals. However, he did not disclose the names of those countries.
The Minister emphasized the government’s commitment to creating both domestic and international employment avenues to reduce the backlog and enhance healthcare delivery across Ghana.
