The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has cautioned nurses and midwives against using unlicensed recruitment agencies to secure employment opportunities abroad.

The Association says the growing reliance on illegal recruitment agents is exposing Ghanaian health professionals to exploitation, abuse and unfair treatment in destination countries.

According to a report by 3new.com on August 18, 2026, more than 10,000 Ghanaian nurses and midwives emigrated in 2025, while between 200 and 400 health professionals are currently leaving the country every month.

Between January and August 2026, about 1,000 nurses and midwives have reportedly left Ghana.

President of the GRNMA, Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, said the increasing migration was placing significant pressure on the country's health system, as fewer professionals remain to care for patients.

“The impact of migration on our health system is huge. Our colleagues are facing increased workloads and are getting burnt out. The way they approach issues becomes affected, and ultimately, patients are also affected,” she said.

The Association is also calling for greater transparency regarding bilateral agreements between Ghana and countries seeking to recruit its health professionals.

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Ofori-Ampofo said such agreements should be made readily accessible to the public, noting that similar arrangements in other countries are often published online.

She urged nurses and midwives to verify recruitment agencies before engaging their services.

“The caution to our midwives is that they should not run along with any agency that presents opportunities to go and work abroad. At least, you can run the agency by us. We have the links to verify them, so we can help you,” she stated.

Meanwhile, the GRNMA says more than 80,000 nurses and midwives are currently awaiting posting.

The Association is appealing to the Ministry of Finance to release the necessary financial clearance to enable the government to deploy the health professionals awaiting posting.

It believes addressing the backlog, alongside improvements in working conditions, could help ease pressure on the health system and reduce the continued loss of skilled health professionals to opportunities abroad.

MRA/AM

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