Health Minister Mintah Akandoh has suggested a rechanneling of funds that will be accrued from a proposed reduction in admission to health institutions.

The Minister’s comments came after he revealed that as part of measures to tackle unemployment in the health sector the government is considering a cut in the number of admissions into health training institutions nationwide.

“We must start analysing our admissions into nursing training colleges. What's the point of training more if we cannot recruit them? On average, they [nursing training colleges] admit 34,000 to 35,000 students every year. However, the absorption rate is not proportional to the admissions. So, the government is reviewing that, " he said.

He believes that, given the current state of healthcare facilities, funds saved from this proposed reduction in admissions to health institutions may be used to purchase equipment to strengthen healthcare delivery across the country.

“But it' s up to all of us. Whether to continue on this path or to drop that quota and invest in equipment. Then we can include more people. This is something for all of us to consider, " Mr Akandoh explained during the Volta Regional launch of the Free Primary Healthcare Policy in Ho on June 12.

According to statistics available, every year Ghana admits about 34,000–35,000 students into nursing and health training institutions, but the government only recruits around 14,000–16,000 health workers annually, leaving a backlog of about 18,000–20,000 graduates annually who remain unemployed or underemployed.

The Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, called for collective efforts to ensure the policy's success.

“Through the implementation of the primary healthcare strategy, we aim to improve health outcomes, reduce inequalities in access to healthcare services, and move steadily towards achieving universal health coverage