Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman Manu has revealed that the Akufo-Addo government has so far recruited 120,367 health professionals since assuming office in 2017.
Mr. Manu said the figure is a record breaker since it is “the highest in the Nation’s history”.
Giving a breakdown of the figures in a Facebook post, the health Minster said “as at July 2020, the Government had recruited ninety thousand, six hundred and ninety-six (90,696) healthcare workers”.
He added that “in April 2021, the Government again recruited 18,445 health professionals are were mostly Degree and Diploma nurses, adding that, Government would have recruited 109, 141 health professionals since 2017”.
“Government has again given clearance for the recruitment of 11, 226 degree and diploma nurses. When you add that to 109,141 already recruited, the government would have recruited 120,367 health professionals”.
Kwaku Agyeman Manu who is also Member of Parliament for Dormaa Central disclosed that this figure excludes the recruitment done by the Ambulance service.
His assertion comes days after the Health Services Workers’ Union declared a nationwide industrial action in protest of what they call unfavorable working conditions leaving many patients stranded at the various public health facilities across the country.
The group said government has failed to review the conditions of service of its members as agreed upon in 2016, but rather, that of their sister unions has been reviewed on two occasions.
On Tuesday, October 26, 2021, a meeting between the Employment and Labor Ministry and the Health Services Workers’ Union ended inconclusively.
The meeting was a platform for members of the union, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, the Health Ministry and the Controller and Accountant General’s Department to address concerns raised by the workers.
