About 130 Ghanaian health professionals on Monday, January 26, 2026, departed the country to begin a three-year work contract in Antigua under the government’s Labour Exchange Programme.
The initiative forms part of the government’s broader strategy to address unemployment while strengthening Ghana’s footprint in the international health sector.
The departure ceremony was held at the Kotoka International Airport and was led by the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, on behalf of the government.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, described the programme as a strategic intervention to reduce the growing backlog of unemployed health professionals while positioning Ghana as a reliable exporter of skilled medical personnel.
According to him, Ghana currently has more than 80,000 trained health professionals who have completed various programmes but remain unemployed.
“The Ghana Labour Exchange Programme is an initiative of the President to create jobs for citizens. Today, it is the turn of health workers. We inherited a backlog of more than 80,000 health professionals who have completed various degrees but are without employment,” he said.
He explained that the government is responding to requests from countries seeking qualified Ghanaian health workers, noting that Antigua is the first beneficiary under the programme.
“We are also working on similar arrangements with Trinidad, Barbados, and Jamaica. These deployments will be done in batches,” the minister added.
Meanwhile, the Minister in charge of Special Initiatives, Emmanuel Agyekum, assured the public that the selection process was rigorous and transparent. He said applicants were required to have between three and five years of professional experience and underwent a two-stage interview process.
The process, he explained, included local assessments as well as interviews conducted by officials from Antigua.
Mr Agyekum disclosed that the selected health professionals have signed three-year contracts, with the option to apply for an extension upon completion of their initial term.
