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Health Minister Sets August 20 Deadline for Newly Recruited Health Professionals

Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh urges newly recruited health professionals to report to their postings by August 20, 2026. Those who miss the deadline risk losing their appointments.

ACCRA — The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, told newly hired health workers to report to their assigned stations. They must report by Thursday, August 20, 2026, or they may lose their appointments.

Addressing members of the Coalition of Unpaid Nurses and Midwives during a courtesy call on Wednesday, August 12, the Minister emphasized that the government cannot leave critical positions vacant indefinitely.

"Those who have not reported, with the greatest of respect, they must report before or on August 20," Akandoh stated. "If you don’t go after the 20th, it means that you will not go and you may forfeit that opportunity. And immediately after that, we will do what we call a mop-up exercise so that those who didn’t accept the postings, we will have to find their replacement."

Financial Clearance Secured to Prevent Arrears

Addressing broader concerns about delays in compensation, Akandoh disclosed that the Ministry deliberately secured financial clearance before initiating the recruitment exercise. This step is designed to prevent the accumulation of salary arrears that plagued health workers recruited in previous years.

According to the Minister, the proactive funding arrangement is already yielding results, with early reporters having received their pay.

"I waited till I had financial clearance before we started doing that, and so those who reported early have even gotten their salaries, and so we are not going to pile any arrears this time around," he noted.

Next Steps for Recruits

With the August 20 deadline fast approaching, affected health professionals are urged to take up their posts immediately. Following the deadline, the Ministry will start a mop-up exercise. It will reallocate unfilled vacancies to other qualified candidates. This will help health facilities stay well staffed without needless delays.

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