Health Minister: All 13,500 recruited nurses now receiving salaries, arrears to be cleared by July

The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has announced that all 13,500 nurses recently recruited into Ghana’s health sector are now receiving their salaries, with outstanding arrears expected to be fully settled by July 2026.

Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show on Monday, June 2, Mr. Akandoh said one of the most pressing issues he inherited upon taking office was the delayed payment of newly recruited healthcare workers, a situation that generated widespread concern and protests.

According to the Minister, resolving the salary challenges became a top priority for the government. Through engagements with the Ministry of Finance, approval was secured to place the affected nurses on the government payroll.

“When I assumed office, about 13,500 nurses had been recruited but were facing payment challenges. It was a difficult period, but through engagements with the Ministry of Finance, we were able to secure approval for their salaries,” he explained.

Mr. Akandoh also dismissed claims that the government intended to forfeit or withhold salary arrears owed to the health workers, stressing that all employees must be compensated for work already performed.

“There were rumours that the government would not pay workers for the months they had already worked. That was never the case. If people have worked, they must be paid,” he stated.

The Health Minister assured affected workers that the government is working towards clearing all outstanding salary arrears by July.

In addition, he revealed that the government has received financial clearance to recruit an additional 16,000 health workers this year. However, he noted that the first phase of the recruitment exercise is expected to accommodate approximately 8,000 personnel.

The announcement is expected to bring relief to healthcare workers while strengthening staffing levels across Ghana’s health sector as government continues efforts to improve healthcare delivery nationwide.