A senior official of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has criticised government health sector recruitment policies, accusing authorities of undermining fairness and transparency in the posting of trained health professionals.
Kwabena Frimpong, speaking at a student event at KAAF University, said the current recruitment approach in the health sector has replaced what he described as an orderly posting system with a less transparent process that disadvantages some graduates.
Structured postings
Frimpong said the previous administration had maintained what he described as structured automatic postings for health trainees, ensuring that qualified graduates were absorbed into the system based on training cohorts.
He contrasted this with the current approach, which he said groups multiple graduating years into a single competitive pool for recruitment.
“Under this system, a 2024 graduate may secure immediate posting, while a 2021-trained health professional with more experience remains unemployed,” he said.
Potential abuse
Frimpong argued that the current system undermines fairness, seniority and professional progression, and warned it could open the door to discretionary decision-making and potential abuse.
He also referred to past recruitment challenges and policy responses, noting that backlog postings had previously been addressed through administrative directives aimed at clearing accumulated graduates.
Frimpong criticised what he described as a shift away from predictable postings, arguing that uncertainty in recruitment was affecting morale among trained health workers.
Appeal
He further questioned the timeline and structure of current recruitment processes, suggesting they could disadvantage some applicants while favouring others.
The health ministry has in recent months defended its recruitment approach, citing fiscal constraints and the need to manage public sector wage pressures while maintaining essential services.
Health sector recruitment has remained a politically sensitive issue in Ghana, with successive governments facing pressure to absorb large numbers of trained but unemployed health professionals.
Frimpong urged authorities to restore what he described as a fair and transparent posting system, warning that continued uncertainty risks eroding confidence in the public health workforce.
Source: asaaseradio.com
