Nursing student admissions to address employment backlog – Akandoh 

Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh says the government is considering a review of nursing training admissions to help tackle the growing employment backlog in the health sector.

The Minister explained that the number of students admitted annually into nursing training colleges far exceeds the rate at which the state can recruit graduates into the public health system, creating a persistent challenge for successive governments.

Addressing stakeholders in Ho during a visit to support the implementation of the Free Primary Healthcare Programme, Mr. Akandoh said the current admission figures require critical reassessment.

“We must begin to analyze our admissions into nursing training colleges. What is the point if we are training more and we cannot recruit them?” he questioned.

According to him, nursing training institutions currently admit between 34,000 and 35,000 students every year, a figure he believes is not matched by available employment opportunities within the public sector.

“On the average we are admitting 34,000 to 35,000 students every year. But the rate at which we absorb them is not commensurate to the admissions. So government is reviewing that,” he stated.

Mr. Akandoh said policymakers face a difficult choice between maintaining current admission levels or investing more resources into expanding recruitment opportunities for trained health professionals.

“But it is up to all of us whether to continue on that tangent or drop that quota and invest in recruitment and recruit more people,” he added.

The remarks come amid growing concerns among health sector graduates over delays in postings and employment after completing their training.

Earlier, the Minister disclosed that the government intends to recruit 1,600 additional health workers this year as part of efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery across the country.

His comments were made during activities connected to the Free Primary Healthcare Programme, a flagship policy introduced by President John Dramani Mahama this year.

The programme seeks to provide universal access to basic healthcare services, routine medical screenings and preventive care without direct out-of-pocket costs for citizens.

The initiative remains central to improving healthcare access while broader measures are explored to address workforce planning and employment challenges within the health sector.