Akim Oda MP Demands Private Sector Plan to Absorb Unposted Health Professionals

Member of Parliament for Akim Oda, Hon. Alexander Akwasi Acquah, has asked the Health Minister to outline concrete plans for engaging the private sector to absorb more health professionals and improve access to quality healthcare.

Raising the question on the floor of Parliament, Hon. Acquah said the move is crucial to addressing the growing backlog of trained nurses, doctors, and allied health staff who remain unposted years after completing school.

He wants the Health Ministry to explain its strategy for partnering with private hospitals, clinics, and health-focused NGOs to create jobs for qualified professionals while reducing the strain on overstretched public facilities.

“To ask the Minister for Health how the Ministry plans to engage with the private sector to absorb more health professionals into the workforce and improve access to quality health care,” he stated.

The question comes as many health graduates continue to agitate over delayed postings, with some staying home for years despite critical staffing gaps in several districts.

Health sector analysts have long argued that deeper private sector involvement could help close staffing shortages, especially in rural and underserved communities, while expanding patient choice.

The Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has outlined key measures the Ministry is taking to partner with the private sector to absorb more health professionals, in response to a parliamentary question filed by Akim Oda MP, Hon. Alexander Akwasi Acquah.

Addressing the House, Hon. Akandoh said the Ministry recognises the “pivotal role” private providers play in expanding job opportunities for health workers and improving access to quality healthcare across the country.

Key measures the Minister announced includes a Dedicated private sector desk, where he said the Ministry maintains a dedicated unit to engage private providers in a coordinated way, ensuring they align with national health policies and contribute effectively to quality care.

Also, Support for not-for-profit facilities, he said Government is backing the recruitment and deployment of health workers into the not-for-profit private sector, with emphasis on faith-based facilities which the Minister described as “crucial partners” in service delivery.