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Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has revealed that over 13,000 nurses and midwives recruited in 2024 were not budgeted for by the previous Akufo-Addo administration, making it difficult for the new government to place them on the payroll.
Speaking on The Point of View on Channel One TV on Wednesday, October 15, Mr. Akandoh said the former government issued recruitment clearances in 2024 without providing the necessary financial backing to pay the recruits.
“The reality is that in 2024, government started to recruit nurses and midwives — about 13,500 of them — and issued clearance. But once you issue clearance, you must make financial provision. Clearance is not just a piece of paper; it must come with money to pay the people you recruit,” he explained.
Expired Clearance Without Payment
According to the Minister, the clearance granted by the previous administration expired on December 31, 2024, before any of the recruits were added to the government payroll.
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“As of the end of December 2024, not a single one of the 13,500 recruited nurses and midwives had been placed on the payroll,” he said.
Mr. Akandoh added that although most of the nurses began work around August 2024, they were not captured in the budget, forcing the new administration to choose between sending them home or allowing them to work without immediate pay.
Gradual Absorption Onto Payroll
He noted that since taking office, his ministry has been working closely with the Ministry of Finance to resolve the issue.
“Out of the 13,500, we managed to put about 7,000 on the payroll. Some started receiving payments from March. In total, about 10,000 have been captured, but only 7,000 are currently being paid as we gradually onboard the rest,” the Minister said.
Uncovered Financial Gaps
Mr. Akandoh further revealed that the problem was compounded when additional financial commitments, including arrears and unimplemented conditions of service, came to light.
“We later discovered that there were arrears of allowances and other obligations that had not been budgeted for. It turned out the financial burden was much bigger than initially thought,” he explained.
Cabinet Approval Needed
To avoid budget overruns, the Health Minister said his team decided to seek Cabinet approval for additional funding.
“We realised that without going back to Cabinet, the situation would distort the entire budget. So we took the prudent step of returning for further financial clearance,” he stated.
Mr. Akandoh’s remarks come in response to accusations from the Minority in Parliament, who claim the Minister is misleading health workers about the status of financial clearances and payments. The Minority insists the previous government had already allocated funds and that the new administration’s Cabinet request is a cover-up for delays.
The Health Minister, however, maintains that his comments reflect the true financial state inherited by the current government and assured that efforts are ongoing to ensure all affected health workers are eventually placed on the payroll.
Story By: Afia Ohenewaa Akyerem