Jamaica gets first batch of nurses from Ghana

Jamaica today received the first batch of healthcare workers from Ghana as part of ongoing efforts by the Ministry of Health and Wellness to strengthen the country’s healthcare workforce and support the delivery of quality healthcare services.

The 43 nurses arrived at Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston this morning.

The Health Ministry, in a statement on Sunday, said the nurses are specialists in various areas, including critical care, paediatrics, operating theatre, nursing/midwifery, emergency, oncology and mental health/psychiatry.

It said they will be assigned to several public hospitals across the island, with the majority being assigned to the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA), which manages health facilities in St James, Westmoreland, Trelawny and Hanover, and the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA), which oversees Kingston & St Andrew, St Thomas and St Catherine.

The nurses will also serve in the other two health regions and at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), the Ministry added.

“The arrival of this first cohort marks an important step in strengthening Jamaica’s healthcare workforce. We warmly welcome the Ghanaian nurses and look forward to the valuable contribution they will make to our health system and the people we serve. This is not only in keeping with our Vision for Health 2030 plan but is fully aligned with the Ministry of Health & Wellness Jamaica’s Human Resource for Health (HRH) Stabilization Strategy,” said Minister of Health & Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton.

Jamaica and Ghana signed a bilateral health cooperation agreement in May, which targets 400 healthcare workers joining the healthcare system in Jamaica.

The agreement, which is for four years, established a structured framework for the voluntary recruitment and temporary deployment of Ghanaian health professionals, particularly nurses and doctors, to support Jamaica’s healthcare system while promoting bilateral cooperation and ethical international recruitment practices.

Jamaica and Ghana will further strengthen their partnership in health through additional technical cooperation in areas such as primary care reform, national health insurance and management of non-communicable diseases, among others.

This partnership, the Health Ministry said, will allow both countries to share knowledge, expertise and resources to advance their mutual health outcomes.

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