Health Minister dismisses ‘scam’ claims over recruitment portal amid heavy traffic

The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has dismissed allegations that the Ministry of Health’s recruitment portal is fraudulent, explaining that the challenges applicants are experiencing are due to extremely high traffic and system congestion rather than any form of scam.

His clarification follows widespread complaints from health workers and job seekers who reported difficulties accessing the online recruitment platform. Some applicants have described the system as ineffective, while others on social media have alleged that the entire recruitment exercise is not genuine.

Speaking to journalists after commissioning a Free Primary Healthcare post at the Madina Polyclinic on Thursday, May 14, 2026, the Minister insisted that the recruitment process is legitimate and being conducted through the officially announced government portal.

“The portal is the one that has been announced by the Ministry of Health,” Mr. Akandoh stated. He explained that the high volume of applicants attempting to log in simultaneously is creating access difficulties.

According to him, the system is experiencing intense traffic, with thousands of users attempting to enter the platform within seconds of its opening.

“You realise that about 10 people enter every second. So, it's very, very competitive and it depends on where you are, your connectivity, and all that,” he explained.

Mr. Akandoh noted that internal checks by the Ministry confirm continuous activity on the portal, indicating that applicants are successfully accessing the system despite the challenges.

He acknowledged public frustration over the situation but assured applicants that the Ministry is actively working on measures to improve the recruitment process and address technical bottlenecks.

“I appreciate the concerns, but you know, we have a challenge at this point in time. And so, we will do something that everybody's heart will be put to rest,” he said.

The Minister also addressed allegations circulating online that no recruitment is taking place, describing such claims as false and misleading. He assured the public that the entire process would be conducted transparently and verified at every stage.

“I've heard people describing it as a scam, that no recruitment is being done, and all that. Don't worry, you know how I do my things,” he said.

He further promised that once the process is completed, full details of successful applicants would be published publicly, broken down by district and region, including information on interview locations.

“At the end of the day, we are going to publish everything. We are going to publish it district by district, region by region, where you’ll go for your interview. So, if it is a scam, everybody will know,” he added.

Mr. Akandoh also revealed that the Ministry is exploring additional strategies to strengthen recruitment into the health sector while addressing the ongoing challenge of health worker migration abroad.

“So, please, with time, we are adapting other strategies to do more recruitment, facilitating the migration of health professionals outside the country and absorbing some,” he noted.

He warned job seekers to be cautious of fraudsters who are exploiting the situation to scam desperate applicants using the names of public officials and government institutions.

According to him, such impersonators have been active on social media platforms, deceiving unsuspecting individuals with false promises of employment.

“Even before I became a health minister, you can ask Members of Parliament. They are using their names all over on several platforms. They are duping people,” he stated.

The Minister urged victims to report any suspicious individuals, assuring that security agencies would take swift action against perpetrators of recruitment fraud.

“You get us the slightest evidence, and then we'll deal with the person. We'll give you to the national security people; we'll give you to the security people and follow up,” he said.

During the same engagement, Mr. Akandoh also provided updates on the government’s Free Primary Healthcare programme, emphasizing that it is being financed domestically rather than through external loans or donor support.

“And let me tell you that we are running this programme not on loans and not on grants. It is you and I, our money,” he stated.

He explained that the programme will be funded through the National Health Insurance Fund and implemented without creating additional bureaucratic structures.

According to him, service delivery will be coordinated through the Ghana Health Service and private healthcare providers to ensure efficiency and accessibility.

“So, let us all be part of the system. Let us all own the system so that we can, at the end of the day, get the full benefit,” he urged.