The Minister for Health, Hon. kwabena Mintah Akandoh has provided an update on government’s efforts to strengthen Ghana’s health infrastructure and workforce, disclosing progress on international job placement for health professionals, the construction of regional hospitals, the completion of stalled Agenda 111 projects, and the expansion of specialised cardiac care services in the north.
Addressing President John Dramani Mahama directly during a citizens’ engagement forum as part of the “Resetting Ghana Agenda”, Hon. Akandoh outlined three main approaches being pursued to manage the country’s surplus of trained but unemployed health professionals, including signing Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with countries such as Jamaica, the United States, and the United Kingdom to facilitate the placement of Ghanaian health workers abroad.
Health Workers Migrating Under New Agreements
The Minister explained that since the current administration took office, about three batches of health professionals have already been facilitated to migrate to partner countries under these arrangements, while others are simultaneously being absorbed into Ghana’s own health centres to address local staffing needs.
According to the Minister, government has concluded plans to absorb approximately 16,000 health professionals locally, with recruitment already concluded for the first 8,000. He disclosed that an additional 8,000 will be recruited going forward, forming part of a broader strategy that combines local absorption with international placement to address the backlog of trained but unemployed health workers in the country.
Turning to infrastructure, the Minister highlighted the state of regional hospital construction across the country, noting that out of ten regional hospitals nationwide, the previous administration had constructed nine, leaving the country with six regions still without dedicated regional hospitals at the time the current government assumed office.
He disclosed that in the 2026 budget allocation, funding had been earmarked to commence construction of regional hospitals in three regions, specifically Savannah and Western North, among others, with construction of the remaining three planned for 2027.
Agenda 111 Projects Being Revived Despite Funding Gaps
The Minister addressed the state of the Agenda 111 hospital project, acknowledging that despite significant investment inherited from the previous administration, none of the projects under the initiative had been completed or made operational by the time the current government took office.
He disclosed that government has since invested approximately GH¢4.8 billion into the project, and while completion challenges remain, instructions have been given that none of the projects should be abandoned. He explained that 35 of the Agenda 111 facilities have now been selected for full completion and operationalisation, with government committing resources specifically toward bringing these priority sites online.
“We have selected 35 of these projects that government is going to invest in for its full completion and operationalisation, and within the 35, the Upper East Region has four.”
Hon. Akandoh
He noted that this distribution is notably higher than what a straightforward regional split across the country’s 16 regions would ordinarily allow, given that an even distribution would amount to fewer than two facilities per region.
The Minister also highlighted progress in expanding specialised cardiac care services, particularly in addressing non-communicable diseases through dedicated cardiology centres. He explained that prior to the current administration’s efforts, none of the five regions in the northern part of the country had a cardiology centre.
He disclosed that construction of a cardiology centre is currently underway at the Tamale Teaching Hospital to serve the northern part of the country, alongside a separate facility also under construction. He further noted that the Korle-Bu cardiology centre has already been completed and commissioned, with progress continuing steadily on the broader cardiac care expansion agenda.
Broader Picture of Progress in The Health Sector
Taken together, the Minister’s remarks painted a picture of continued investment across multiple fronts within Ghana’s health sector, from international workforce placement and local absorption to hospital infrastructure and specialised care facilities.
He concluded his address by reaffirming government’s commitment to sustaining this progress, pledging continued service to the country as these various health initiatives move toward completion.
With regional hospital construction now extending to previously underserved regions, Agenda 111 projects being revived under a more targeted completion strategy, new cardiology centres addressing longstanding gaps in specialised care in the north, and health workers now securing jobs both locally and abroad through international MOUs.
The Minister’s update suggests a health sector undergoing significant, if gradual, transformation across infrastructure, workforce, and specialised service delivery under the Mahama administration’s ongoing citizens’ engagement initiative.
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