Member of Parliament for Akim Oda, Alexander Akwasi Acquah, has thrown his weight behind the government’s proposed plan to export Ghanaian nurses through a bilateral labour migration agreement.
The initiative, aimed at creating international job opportunities for health professionals, was described by the MP as a positive step that aligns with earlier national efforts.
In an exclusive interview on Channel One Newsroom, Mr. Acquah said the policy has long been part of discussions among stakeholders and was even included in the party’s manifesto.
“This is a kind of policy that we have all spoken about. It was contained in our manifesto. This is something that most countries are doing,” he noted.
Reflecting on previous efforts, Mr. Acquah pointed to programmes he participated in during his time as Deputy Minister for Health.
“When I was the Deputy Minister for Health, I had travelled to Frankfurt and I had been told that there was an agreement that we needed to pursue to get Ghanaian nurses to Frankfurt,” he recalled.
“We started the Barbados programme. We often sent people there, which was an interesting programme.”
He expressed optimism about the current government building on these past initiatives and called for rigorous scrutiny to ensure the best outcomes.
“So if this government is building on it, we will do the right checks and balances on it to get the right deals for our nurses and make sure even the country benefits from such an arrangement,” he added.
Mr. Acquah’s comments follow an announcement by Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh at the Government Accountability Series on Friday, July 18.
The minister disclosed that over 13 countries have shown interest in recruiting Ghanaian nurses, signaling growing global demand for the nation’s healthcare workforce.
