By Nelson Ayivor
Ghana is leveraging its Labour Exchange Programme to tackle the persistent unemployment of skilled health workers while meeting rising international demand for medical professionals. Today, about 130 Ghanaian health workers are departing for Antigua and Barbuda on multi-year contracts, marking a significant milestone in the programme.
Minister of Health Kwabena Mintah Akandoh described the initiative as “a strategic intervention to reduce the backlog of over 80,000 unemployed health professionals while positioning Ghana as a leading exporter of skilled health personnel.”
The programme provides a practical solution for thousands of trained nurses, doctors, and allied health workers who have struggled to find placements in Ghana’s public health sector due to budgetary constraints. The government is creating meaningful employment opportunities that were previously unavailable through international placements.
The Labour Exchange Programme allows the government to optimize its human capital without incurring the full financial burden of domestic employment. Salaries and benefits that would have otherwise been borne by the state are now managed under international contracts, while the professionals gain valuable experience.
Positioning Ghanaian health professionals as a global export, the initiative strengthens the country’s reputation as a source of high-quality medical talent. This could attract foreign investments in healthcare training programs, recruitment agencies, and medical supply ventures that support the international deployment of skilled workers.
In the long term, the programme has the potential to foster sustainable human capital development, ensuring that Ghanaian professionals remain competitive internationally while supporting domestic growth through remittances and skill transfer.