130 Ghanaian Health Workers Deployed to Antigua Under Labour Exchange Programme
The Government of Ghana has sent 130 health workers to Antigua and Barbuda. This is part of the Ghana Labour Exchange Programme. The goal is to help reduce the number of unemployed health workers in Ghana.
Speaking to journalists, the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, said the initiative is a presidential intervention aimed at creating job opportunities for qualified professionals who have remained unemployed after completing their training.
“The Ghana Labour Exchange Programme is an initiative of the President to create jobs for citizens. Today, it is the turn of health workers. We inherited a backlog of more than 80,000 health professionals who have completed various degrees but are without employment,” he explained.
According to the minister, the government is engaging countries that have formally requested Ghanaian health workers to support their healthcare systems.
“As part of efforts to create jobs, the government is exploring avenues where countries have requested that our health professionals work with them. Today, it is Antigua. We are also working on similar arrangements with Trinidad, Barbados, and Jamaica. These deployments will be done in batches,” he added.
The Minister in charge of Special Initiatives, Emmanuel Agyekum, disclosed that the deployed health professionals have signed three-year contracts with the host country.
“They have signed three-year contracts. Once the contract ends, they may apply for an extension. Otherwise, they are expected to return to Ghana at the completion of their assignment,” he said.
Antigua and Barbuda, an independent Commonwealth nation made up of two main islands and several smaller ones, is located where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Caribbean Sea. The country is well known for its reef-lined beaches, rainforests and luxury resorts.
Its historic English Harbour remains a major yachting hub and home to the famous Nelson’s Dockyard, while the capital, St. John’s, hosts the national museum which showcases indigenous and colonial artefacts.
The Labour Exchange Programme is expected to continue in phases as the government seeks long-term solutions to graduate unemployment within Ghana’s health sector.
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