About 130 Ghanaian health professionals left the country on Monday, January 26, 2026, to undertake a three-year contract in Antigua under the government’s Labour Exchange Programme.

The programme, the government said, is part of the government’s broader strategy to tackle unemployment while strengthening Ghana’s presence in the international health sector.

The departure ceremony was held at Kotoka International Airport and led by the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, representing the government.

Speaking on the initiative, the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, described the programme as a strategic intervention aimed at addressing the backlog of more than 80,000 unemployed health professionals across the country, while positioning Ghana as a key exporter of skilled medical personnel.

“The Ghana Labour Exchange Programme is an initiative of the President to create jobs for citizens. Today, it is the turn of health workers. We inherited a backlog of more than 80,000 health professionals who have completed various degrees but are without employment.

“As part of efforts to create jobs, the government is exploring avenues where countries have requested that our health professionals work with them. Today, it is Antigua. We are also working on similar arrangements with Trinidad, Barbados, and Jamaica. These deployments will be done in batches,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Minister in charge of Special Initiatives, Emmanuel Agyekum, assured the public that the selection process was rigorous and transparent. He explained that applicants were required to have between three and five years of work experience and underwent a thorough two-stage interview process, including local assessments and interviews conducted by officials from Antigua.

“They have signed three-year contracts. Once the contract ends, they may apply for an extension. Otherwise, they are expected to return to Ghana at the completion of their assignment,” he said.