Jamaica welcomes first cohort of Ghanaian healthcare workers
Originally published by Jamaica Observer Read the original
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica on Monday welcomed the first cohort of Ghanaian healthcare workers as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the country's healthcare workforce and support the delivery of quality healthcare services.
The majority of the 43 nurses will be 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, who are specialists in various areas, including critical care, paediatrics, operating theatre, nurse/midwife, emergency, oncology and mental health/psychiatric, will also serve in the other two health regions and at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI).
Their arrival follows the signing of a Bilateral Health Cooperation agreement between the two countries earlier this year, which aims to place 400 healthcare workers in Jamaica.
“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) Stabilisation Strategy,” said Minister of Health & Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton in a statement on Monday.
The ministry said the four-year agreement between Jamaica and Ghana has 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.
It added that 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.