News
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.
A 29-year-old tricycle rider, Naah Mashood, has been sentenced to 14 years imprisonment with hard labour for defiling a three-year-old girl at Tiegber in the Wa Municipality.
The Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Upper West Regional Police Command arrested the suspect on February 24, 2026, following a complaint lodged by the victim’s mother.
According to police, the convict, who had been contracted by the parents to pick the victim to and from school, lured her to an isolated location on February 23, 2026, and sexually assaulted her inside his tricycle, popularly known as ‘Camboo’.
After thorough investigations, he was arraigned before the Wa District Magistrate Court and subsequently stood trial at the Wa High Court.
On October 30, 2026, His Lordship Justice Osei-Wusu found him guilty of defilement and sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment with hard labour.
The Upper West Regional Police Command has commended the officers involved in the investigation and prosecution, as well as all persons who contributed to ensuring justice was served.
The Command urged parents and guardians to keep a close eye on their children and ensure their safety at all times, and encouraged the public to report suspected cases of child abuse and defilement to the nearest police station or DOVVSU office for prompt action.
It further assured the public of its commitment to protecting children and ensuring perpetrators of sexual offences are brought to justice.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The Ashanti Regional Police Command has announced the arrest of three suspected members of a criminal syndicate believed to be behind a series of robberies targeting bank customers in Kumasi and its environs.
On October 31, 2026, at about 11:30 pm, an IGP’s Special Team, comprising personnel from the Anti-Armed Robbery Unit of the CID Headquarters and the Accra Regional Police Intelligence Directorate (PID), acting on intelligence, embarked on an operation to apprehend the suspects.
The operation led to the arrest of two Nigerian nationals, Aboy Promise, 30, and Favour Uwalaka, 45, at a hotel at Moshie Zongo. A search of their rooms resulted in the recovery of GH¢1,600.00, assorted mobile phones, a Royal motorbike and a master key used to gain unauthorized access to victims’ vehicles to steal cash.
During interrogation, the suspects admitted their involvement in the robberies and mentioned two accomplices, Chinedu, alias Alhaji, and Kingsley, alias KC.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the syndicate monitored banking premises, identified customers who withdrew substantial sums of money and trailed them before attacking and robbing them. They also broke into unattended vehicles belonging to bank customers using a master key to steal cash kept inside.
The suspects subsequently led the police team to another hotel at Dechemso, a suburb of Kumasi, where Kingsley, alias KC, 35, also a Nigerian national, was arrested.
The remaining accomplice, Chinedu, alias Alhaji, is currently on the run. The Command is appealing to the public to volunteer credible information that could lead to his arrest. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to report to the nearest police station or contact the police through emergency numbers 191, 112 or the toll-free MTN and Telecel line 18555.
The suspects admitted to robbing a victim of GH¢15,000.00 at Asokore Mampong on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, after the victim had withdrawn money from Kwamang Rural Bank. They also admitted to similar robberies at the Atonsu branch of Fidelity Bank, the Ahodwo branch of Access Bank and other locations within Kumasi and its environs.
The three arrested suspects have since been handed over to the Ashanti Regional Police Command and are assisting with investigations.
The Command has cautioned bank customers to remain vigilant, be alert to suspicious persons around banking premises and avoid leaving cash or other valuables unattended in vehicles, while commending the public for their continued cooperation and assuring residents of its commitment to combating robbery and other criminal activities in the region.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
