Ghana has sent a total of 130 Ghanaian health professionals to take up three-year employment placements in Antigua and Barbuda under the government’s Labour Exchange Programme, a move aimed at easing unemployment in the health sector.
The health workers departed on Monday, January 26, 2026, following a brief departure ceremony at the Kotoka International Airport, which was led by the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, on behalf of the government.
Government officials say the initiative forms part of a broader strategy to create employment opportunities for trained health workers while strengthening Ghana’s footprint in the international health labour market.
Addressing the gathering, Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, described the programme as a targeted response to the large number of qualified but unemployed health professionals in the country.
“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.
“As part of efforts to create jobs, the government is exploring avenues where countries have requested that our health professionals work with them. Today, it is Antigua. We are also working on similar arrangements with Trinidad, Barbados, and Jamaica. These deployments will be done in batches,” he said.
The Minister in charge of Special Initiatives, Emmanuel Agyekum, assured the public that the selection process for the programme was rigorous, competitive, and transparent.
He explained that applicants were required to have between three and five years of professional experience and underwent a two-stage assessment process, including interviews conducted locally and additional interviews by officials from Antigua.
“They have signed three-year contracts. Once the contract ends, they may apply for an extension. Otherwise, they are expected to return to Ghana at the completion of their assignment,” he said.
Officials say the Labour Exchange Programme will be rolled out in phases, with more health professionals expected to be deployed to other countries as agreements are finalised.
