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Ministry of Health holds dialogue on workforce challenges
The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, has held a National Policy Dialogue to address critical challenges in the country’s health workforce.
The event, themed “Transforming Ghana’s Health Workforce for UHC: Align, Invest, and Sustain,” aimed to tackle issues such as workforce distribution, skills shortages, and the migration of health professionals.
Discussions focused on defining strategic roles, optimizing the health labour market, and fostering sustainable investments in human resources for health (HRH).
The two-day dialogue sought to build consensus on policies to ensure a well-resourced and resilient health system in Ghana.
Addressing stakeholders, the Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, noted that a recent Health Labour Market Analysis (HLMA) revealed a mixed picture of progress and ongoing challenges.
Despite significant strides over the past two decades, Ghana continues to grapple with issues related to health worker deployment, retention, and sustainability.
He explained that nearly 40% of trained health professionals remain unemployed, while rural areas, where the need is most acute, suffer from a severe shortage of healthcare workers.
Additionally, he highlighted a concerning trend: migration. He said over two-thirds of health workers are considering leaving the country, largely due to economic factors.
He urged key stakeholders to discuss solutions, emphasizing the need for bold and innovative approaches to address these workforce challenges.
The call to action was clear, rethink strategies, forge partnerships, and ensure long-term sustainability to achieve Universal Health Coverage.
In his welcome address, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, Alhaji Hafiz Adam, noted that the Ministry has made significant strides in expanding Ghana’s healthcare workforce over the past two decades, with support from development partners.
This has led to an increase in the public sector workforce density from 16.56 to 41.92 per 10,000 people.
He reiterated that despite this progress, the dialogue, bringing together key stakeholders is aimed to address challenges by analysing HLMA findings and developing strategies focused on education, job creation, and worker retention.
He added that the discussions will explore ways to strengthen partnerships, enhance policies, and establish monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to ensure the sustainable growth and effective management of Ghana’s health workforce.
The meeting brought together senior officials from key ministries, alongside stakeholders from the Ministry of Health, private health providers, quasi-health institutions, professional associations, and development partners.
A panel discussion aimed to build consensus on reforms to enhance workforce coordination, regulatory frameworks, and long-term financing to support Ghana’s healthcare system was conducted.
News
Cake Tekniks holds 59th graduation ceremony
About 30 students on Sunday graduated from the 59th graduation ceremony of Cake Tekniks International, a privately-owned modern cake designing and sugar craft school in Accra.
During the ceremony, all graduates were presented with certificates while 13 of them also received professional diploma.
The founder of Cake Tekniks International, Mrs Jane Addo, said her outfit was dedicated to providing world standard skills, knowledge and hands-on training necessary for one to succeed worldwide in the culinary industry.
She encouraged the students to embrace the opportunities, challenges and experiences, mindful of the fact that they are well-equipped.
“Hold your heads up while you build a goodwill between your clients and yourselves,” she added.
Mrs Addo said the school was passionate about fostering the culture of creativity, motivation and excellence with the belief that every student had the potential to make a lasting impact in the culinary world.
The founder and leader of QA Consult, Mr Johnson Opoku-Boateng, said graduation was a witness to the unveiling of talents, passion and hard work and testament to months of dedication and hands-on-learning.
He urged the graduands to ensure that their cakes were safe and good for human health and that their success would be dependent on how well they serve, create and grow.
The event also saw the exhibition of cakes and pastries by the students.
receiving her certificate
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
News
Debutant Bella Agyemang lauded for Box Office ‘Magic’
New producer, Bella Agyemang, has been hailed by Silverbird Cinemas and other industry players for her Box Office ‘Magic’ over the weekend.
Bella’s ‘Check In’ movie has received praise for being the first to sell at the cinemas this year.
Speaking to The Spectator, Sales and Marketing Lead at Silverbird Cinemas Ghana, Nana Kwame Obiri-Tete said, for a debutant, Bella Agyemang did fantastically well in her maiden premiere.
He said he was proud of Bella Agyemang’s effort in getting people to show up, adding that she engaged in a lot of marketing activities.
He said her marketing activations on the streets, coupled with other Public Relations endeavours, pointed in the right direction.
“With what she has done, it shows that Bella has a big future. You might have a good product, but if you fail to market it, you cannot get people to patronize. Bella put in a lot of work, which is why she was able to draw a lot of people to the premiere,” Obiri-Tetteh said.
Bella Agyemang, on her part, expressed appreciation to fellow actors, her team, media personalities and all stakeholders who supported her effort ahead of the premiere.
The much-awaited star-studded Ghanaian comedy movie ‘Check-In’ premiered at Silverbird Cinemas on April 12, 2025.
The movie tells a story of chaos and a blackout at a secluded hotel, and amidst these, a resourceful attendant must unravel hidden connections between guests and restore peace before secrets tear them apart.
The movie, produced by Bella Agyemang, featured Kofi Okyere-Darko (KOD), Clemento Suarez, Jeneral Ntatia, Priscilla Opoku-Agyeman, Felicia Osei, Gideon Kojo Boakye, Clinton Odoi, Fiifi Jefferson Pratt, and Gabriel Hogan among others.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
