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Ministry of Health holds dialogue on workforce challenges
The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, has held a National Policy Dialogue to address critical challenges in the country’s health workforce.
The event, themed “Transforming Ghana’s Health Workforce for UHC: Align, Invest, and Sustain,” aimed to tackle issues such as workforce distribution, skills shortages, and the migration of health professionals.
Discussions focused on defining strategic roles, optimizing the health labour market, and fostering sustainable investments in human resources for health (HRH).
The two-day dialogue sought to build consensus on policies to ensure a well-resourced and resilient health system in Ghana.
Addressing stakeholders, the Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, noted that a recent Health Labour Market Analysis (HLMA) revealed a mixed picture of progress and ongoing challenges.
Despite significant strides over the past two decades, Ghana continues to grapple with issues related to health worker deployment, retention, and sustainability.
He explained that nearly 40% of trained health professionals remain unemployed, while rural areas, where the need is most acute, suffer from a severe shortage of healthcare workers.
Additionally, he highlighted a concerning trend: migration. He said over two-thirds of health workers are considering leaving the country, largely due to economic factors.
He urged key stakeholders to discuss solutions, emphasizing the need for bold and innovative approaches to address these workforce challenges.
The call to action was clear, rethink strategies, forge partnerships, and ensure long-term sustainability to achieve Universal Health Coverage.
In his welcome address, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, Alhaji Hafiz Adam, noted that the Ministry has made significant strides in expanding Ghana’s healthcare workforce over the past two decades, with support from development partners.
This has led to an increase in the public sector workforce density from 16.56 to 41.92 per 10,000 people.
He reiterated that despite this progress, the dialogue, bringing together key stakeholders is aimed to address challenges by analysing HLMA findings and developing strategies focused on education, job creation, and worker retention.
He added that the discussions will explore ways to strengthen partnerships, enhance policies, and establish monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to ensure the sustainable growth and effective management of Ghana’s health workforce.
The meeting brought together senior officials from key ministries, alongside stakeholders from the Ministry of Health, private health providers, quasi-health institutions, professional associations, and development partners.
A panel discussion aimed to build consensus on reforms to enhance workforce coordination, regulatory frameworks, and long-term financing to support Ghana’s healthcare system was conducted.
The National Identification Authority (NIA) has announced the commencement of enforcement of the National Identity Register (Amendment) Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2523), warning institutions that fail to comply with the new requirements of possible fines of up to 2,000 penalty units.
The Authority says it will deploy a Biometric Verification Implementation Task Force to inspect institutions and ensure they comply with the regulations, following the expiration of a three-month grace period granted to businesses and public institutions.
Speaking at a press briefing in Accra on Monday, November 2, 2026, the NIA’s Corporate Affairs representative, William Ampomah Emmanuel Darlas, said the Authority had completed its public education and stakeholder engagement activities and was now moving into the enforcement and compliance monitoring phase.
He explained that the regulations require institutions that verify the identities of customers or applicants as part of their operations to use the NIA’s approved biometric verification platform instead of relying solely on visual inspection of the Ghana Card.
Under the new rules, institutions are prohibited from photocopying, scanning or keeping copies of the Ghana Card for identity verification purposes.
Mr Darlas stressed that simply collecting a customer’s Ghana Card, looking at the photograph and comparing it with the person presenting it would no longer be accepted as a valid method of identity verification.
He, however, clarified that the Ghana Card remains the country’s official national identity document and that citizens are not required to register for a new card or capture their biometrics again under the new regulations.
He said the new system is intended to reduce identity fraud, impersonation and other crimes by ensuring that the person presenting the Ghana Card is the actual owner.
According to him, the biometric verification process will rely on information already captured during Ghana Card registration, including fingerprints, iris details and facial features stored in the card’s chip.
Mr Darlas warned institutions against using third-party companies or individuals to access the NIA’s identity verification platform, insisting that the Authority does not work with intermediaries.
He said institutions seeking access to the National Identity Register must deal directly with the NIA and complete its official onboarding process.
The process requires institutions to prove that they are legally registered companies in Ghana, obtain certification from the Data Protection Commission and work with the NIA’s technical team to establish the necessary connection to its platform.
He further cautioned institutions already connected to the platform against subletting their access to other businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises.
He disclosed that the Authority had received reports of some institutions providing their verification services to other businesses without the NIA’s approval and warned that those involved would face legal action.
Mr Darlas said organisations that fail to comply with L.I. 2523 could face fines ranging from 500 to 2,000 penalty units, depending on the nature of the offence.
He explained that the NIA does not have the authority to impose the fines directly but would take offenders to court for the appropriate punishment.
He indicated that Institutions found guilty could also face additional administrative measures, including being barred from accessing the NIA’s verification platform in the future.
The NIA representative further clarified that the new regulations do not prohibit all institutions from physically using the Ghana Card during transactions.
The Managing Director of the Ghana Publishing Company Limited, Nana Kwesi Boatey, has revealed how he transformed a major overstaffing challenge into a success story through the government’s 24-Hour Economy initiative.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Monday, November 2, Mr. Boatey disclosed that when he assumed office in February 2025, and inherited a bloated workforce of 250 employees doing work that could be efficiently handled by 150 people, a situation that created serious liquidity challenges for the state-owned company.
Instead of resorting to downsizing, he adopted an innovative approach by instituting a 24-hour operational system.
Under the new system, staff were redistributed across three shifts: 7 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., and 10 p.m. – 4:30 a.m.
This not only ensured optimal use of labour but also maximized machine utilization and improved overall output.
According to him, the single move redefined the productivity culture within the company, reinforcing discipline, accountability, and efficiency.
The Ghana Publishing Company’s turnaround is being cited as a practical example of how the 24-Hour Economy policy can drive growth without job losses.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
