Ghana is expanding government-to-government agreements that send its nurses to work abroad. According to Pulse Ghana (17 October), Ghana and the US Virgin Islands expect to formalise a partnership in November 2026 to recruit Ghanaian nurses and teachers, under the government’s Ghana Labour Exchange Programme.
The US Virgin Islands deal
A Ghanaian delegation met senior USVI officials at Government House on St. Thomas, where Governor Albert Bryan Jr. is seeking to fill hard-to-staff positions in health and education. The delegation included Gilbert Attipoe (Presidential Aide, Office of the Chief of Staff), Bediako Kwabena Acheampong (Technical Coordinator, Office of the President), and Samuel Kodom (aide to the Minister for Labour, Employment and Job Creation). A memorandum of understanding is expected to set the framework. The number of nurses, qualifications and employment terms have not yet been published.
Ghana’s other agreements
| Destination | Status |
|---|---|
| Antigua and Barbuda | First batch of 121 nurses, midwives and allied health professionals deployed in January 2026 |
| Columbus, Ohio (USA) | MoU signed in September 2026 for employment of Ghanaian nurses, with a focus on ethical recruitment and worker welfare |
| Grenada | 61 Ghanaian nurses and health workers welcomed in October 2026 |
| Jamaica | Specialist Ghanaian nurses welcomed at the University Hospital of the West Indies in October 2026, according to the Jamaica Observer |
| US Virgin Islands | MoU expected in November 2026 |
Training more, keeping specialists
Ghana trains more nurses than its public health system currently employs, and thousands of qualified nurses have waited for postings. The government presents managed migration as a way to give unemployed nurses work, earn remittances and build skills.
At the same time, Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has said Ghana needs more specialist nurses where disease burden is highest. Speaking at the Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives’ annual general meeting in early October, he named emergency and critical care, oncology, renal care, mental health, neonatal care, and maternal and newborn health, and said specialist training must be tied to deployment, equipment and career development. “Caring for the workforce is therefore part of caring for the patient,” he said, according to the Ghana News Agency.
Opportunity or brain drain?
Supporters say structured, government-led schemes protect nurses from exploitative private agents and make sure the terms are transparent. Critics worry that experienced nurses, especially specialists, will leave a health system that already has gaps. Ghana is on the WHO health workforce support and safeguards list, which asks countries not to actively recruit from listed nations unless there is a government-to-government agreement that benefits the source country’s health system. That is one reason Ghana’s bilateral approach matters.
If you’re a Ghanaian nurse considering these schemes
- Apply only through official government channels announced by the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Labour. Be wary of anyone charging fees to “secure” a place.
- Ask for the contract in writing: salary, hours, housing, length of contract, licensing requirements, and what happens if it ends early.
- Check licensing: each destination has its own registration process.
- Keep your N&MC Ghana registration active.
Related: Ghana nurses abroad: Grenada, Jamaica and Columbus · Jamaica’s specialist nurse shortage · Nursing CV for jobs abroad
Sources: Pulse Ghana (17 October 2026), Ghana News Agency (7 October 2026), MyJoyOnline and Ghanaian Times (October 2026), Jamaica Observer (13 October 2026), WHO Health Workforce Support and Safeguards List (2023).