Gov’t to employ over 8,000 nurses and midwives

Government has given financial clearance for the employment of 8,634 nurses and midwives as well as other allied personnel for the various health facilities across the country.

The recruitment exercise takes effect from November 1, 2016 through to March 1, 2017, a clearance letter dated November 11 and signed by the Minister of Finance, Seth Terkper stated.

The letter directed that the emolument of these recruits be charged against the Ministry of Health’s Compensation of Employee vote in the 2017 annual estimates.

Per the letter, the financial clearance is to expire on December 31, 2017 after which it cannot be used by the category of personnel verified to be employed.

“The Ministry of Health is to ensure that the engaged staff have their documents processed in time and placed on the Mechanised Payroll early enough to enable the Controller and Accountant General’s Department effect payment of their salaries,” the letter stated.

Category of health personnel covered by the clearance

1. A total of 114 nurses and midwives are to be employed in November 1. The number includes the 17 who completed their programmesin 2012 and 2014 but could not be verified from the Bolga Midwifery Training School who were left out of the 2015 batch of midwives who were verified for clearance. It also includes 82 nurses trained from the Holy Family Nurses Training College at Nkawkaw who were left out of the 2015 batch of nurses who were verified for clearance

2. Financial clearance for Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives to recruit 17 staff to facilitate the execution of its mandate [appointment effective March 1, 2017]

3. Clearance for the recruitment of 505 Allied Health Professional graduates who completed their programmes in 2014 and 2015 respectively – [appointment effective March 1, 2017]

4. Clearance to engage 5,400 Nurses Assistant Clinical and Nurses Assistant Preventive who passed out in 2015 and have been verified by the Nurses & Midwifery Council – [Appointment effective February 1, 2017]

5. Financial clearance for 74 different cadres of staff for various agencies under the Ministry of Health – [Appointment takes effect from March 1, 2017]

6. Recruitment into the public health sector, 732 Nursing Officers Trained in various universities who been verified by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. [Appointment takes effect March 1, 2017]

7. Engagement of 81 Health Workers of Ankase Methodist Hospital (CHAG) – [March 1, 2017]

8. Recruitment of 1,538 officers made up of 1,500 Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and 38 other professionals for National Ambulance Service – [Appointment takes effect from March 1, 2017]

9. Engagement of 122 Health Workers for Dodowa (ShaiOsudoku) Hospital – [appointment effective March 1, 2017

10. Appointment of 51 health personnel for the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital – [Effective March 1, 2017]

Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry has asked the Health Ministry to adhere to the effective appointment dates indicated for each category of recruits.

It has also directed all Human Resource Managers at the various health facilities across the country to process the document of all staff who are granted financial clearance on time to avoid accumulation of salary arrears for payment.