Ghana has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Ghana and the City of Columbus, Ohio, to facilitate employment opportunities for qualified Ghanaian nurses in the United States.
The partnership, announced by the Ministry of Health, is expected to establish a framework for the ethical recruitment and deployment of Ghanaian health professionals, particularly nurses, to Columbus.
The MoU was signed by the Ministries of Health, Labour and Employment and marks the beginning of detailed arrangements on the recruitment and placement of Ghanaian health professionals in the US.
Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh said the initiative goes beyond recruitment, stressing the need for decent employment opportunities, strengthened health-system capacity and improved welfare and professional interests of Ghanaian health workers.
He said the initiative forms part of the Ministry’s efforts to secure credible and decent international employment opportunities for Ghanaian health professionals while ensuring compliance with Ghana’s Migration Policy and international standards.
According to the Ministry, the partnership builds on the existing Sister-City relationship between Accra and Columbus and the Ghana Labour Exchange Programme.
The Minister said the collaboration would create decent jobs for Ghanaian health professionals abroad while aligning the recruitment process with Ghana’s migration policy, international best practices and global standards.
The Ministry also said it would support partnerships that protect the welfare and professional rights of recruited health workers.
The announcement comes as Ghana continues to explore international employment opportunities for health professionals while seeking to ensure that overseas recruitment is conducted through structured and ethical arrangements.