Ghana exports first batch of 121 health professionals to Antigua.

Ghana has exported one hundred and twenty-one (121) nurses, midwives and other allied healthcare professionals to Antigua under the Ghana Labour Exchange Programme.

The Ghanaian health professionals were seen off at the Kotoka International Airport by the Chief of Staff at the Presidency, Julius Debrah, supported by the Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh (MP) and the Minister of State in charge of Special Initiatives, Emmanuel Kwadwo Agyekum.

This follows a bilateral agreement between the governments of the two countries as part of a broader initiative to manage the backlog of qualified, unemployed nurses, guarantee better pay and conditions, and create foreign exchange earnings and professional growth opportunities, with plans to potentially allow return pathways to reintegrate into the domestic health sector.

In a brief address, the Minister for Health urged the beneficiaries to exhibit professionalism and to serve as good ambassadors of Ghana. He noted that the Mahama administration inherited a backlog of more than eighty thousand (80,000) health professionals who had completed various levels of education waiting for employment.

Mr Akandoh said that, as part of a broader policy to absorb them, the government is building more facilities to engage professionals, in addition to exploring other viable opportunities abroad for those who qualify.

"As you all know, we have a country to govern, and at every point, our budget can absorb a certain proportion of them. So, as part of the government's intervention to create jobs, especially for health professionals, we are exploring avenues where countries have requested our health professionals to work with them," he explained.

"Today it is Antigua. We are working on Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad. So, we are doing that in batches."

He reiterated that his Ministry would follow the progress report on the first batch with keen interest and reminded them of their responsibility to project Ghana's image.

Mr Agyekum said the Ghana Labour Exchange Programme is available to every skilled Ghanaian, whether drivers, artisans, or trained professionals, and that it is open to those who are ready and willing to be part of it.

Antigua, a former British colony and a member of the Commonwealth, became independent on November 1, 1981.