About 130 Ghanaian health professionals left the country on Monday, January 26, 2026, to begin a three-year work assignment in Antigua under the government’s Labour Exchange Programme.
The initiative forms part of the government’s broader plan to reduce unemployment and expand Ghana’s footprint in the global health sector. The send-off ceremony took place at the Kotoka International Airport and was led by the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, on behalf of the government.
The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, said the programme is a strategic response to the growing number of unemployed health workers in the country, which currently stands at over 80,000. He explained that the government is working with several countries that have requested Ghanaian medical personnel, with Antigua being the first batch. Similar arrangements are also being pursued with Trinidad, Barbados, and Jamaica, and the deployments will continue in phases.
The Minister for Special Initiatives, Emmanuel Agyekum, added that the selection process was strict and transparent. Applicants were required to have between three and five years of work experience and went through a two-stage interview process, including assessments by both local officials and representatives from Antigua.
He noted that the health workers have signed three-year contracts, after which they may apply for an extension or return to Ghana once their assignment ends.
Source: citinews
