The Minister for Health, Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has assured the final batch of unpaid nurses across the country that their outstanding salaries will soon be cleared.

Addressing the matter in Accra, the Minister said his office is working closely with the Ministry of Finance to resolve the payment delays.

He expressed sympathy for the affected nurses, stressing that no health worker should be engaged without valid financial clearance, which has been the main cause of the delays.

“Government is adopting pragmatic approaches to deal with challenges of this nature in the health sector.

The welfare of health workers remains a top priority,” Mr. Akandoh stated.

In August 2024, the Ministry of Health secured financial clearance to recruit 13,500 nurses, but the approval expired in December 2024.

This meant that nurses posted thereafter had no immediate financial backing for salaries.

Instead of keeping them at home, the then government allowed them to work while arrangements were made for their payment.

So far, over 7,000 nurses have been paid, with about 6,500 still awaiting their salaries.

The Minister explained that this arrangement was a concession to ensure service delivery was not disrupted, while efforts were made to regularise the situation.

He noted that similar salary delays had previously affected pharmacists who started their housemanship in 2023, some medical house officers in 2024, and rotation nurses and allied health interns.

In all these cases, the Ministry has since worked to resolve the payment issues.

The Minister reaffirmed the government’s determination to decisively address such challenges going forward, pledging continued support for health workers as part of broader efforts to strengthen Ghana’s health sector.

The assurance was contained in a statement signed by Mr. Tony Goodman, Head of Health Training Institutions & Spokesperson at the Ministry of Health.