Over 300 enrolled nurses from the 2020-year group across Ghana have been left heartbroken after their long-awaited hopes of employment were dashed. These nurses, who had passed their licensure examinations and obtained their Professional Identification Numbers (PIN) in 2020, have endured four years of unemployment, anxiously awaiting the Ghana Health Service’s promise to reactivate its recruitment portal.

Their anticipation turned to despair when they gathered at the Greater Accra Regional Health Directorate, only to be told that just 30 of them would be recruited. The region’s total quota for nurses was limited to 122 slots, leaving the majority without job placements. To their shock, the Human Resource Manager of the Health Directorate revealed that the 30 selected nurses would be posted to the Ada East and West districts, where there is a dire shortage of healthcare workers. This announcement, however, did not sit well with the remaining nurses, who felt overlooked and frustrated after years of waiting.

Many of the affected nurses, including lactating mothers, had spent the night at the directorate, clinging to the hope of positive news. Their disappointment was palpable. Veronica Anokye, one of the affected nurses, shared her anguish: “We thought today would mark the end of our four-year joblessness, but instead, our situation has worsened.”

A senior staff member of the Health Directorate explained that the quota could not be exceeded without direct orders from the Ghana Health Service. Out of the remaining slots, 92 were allocated for other nursing categories such as midwives and general nursing officers.

This disheartening situation highlights the ongoing challenges facing Ghana’s healthcare sector.