The Minority in Parliament has launched a scathing attack on the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, accusing him of misleading the public and health professionals over claims that the government has secured financial clearance for their employment and payment of salary arrears.
At the heart of the controversy is the continued delay in the payment of salaries to thousands of health workers across the country a situation the Minority describes as “unacceptable neglect” of frontline workers who keep the nation’s health system running.
Addressing journalists in a press conference, the Ranking Member on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie, challenged the Minister’s assertions that Cabinet had approved financial clearance for doctors, nurses, and pharmacists.
According to Dr. Afriyie, the clearances the Minister referred to had expired under the previous administration on December 31, 2024, and have not been renewed since.
“The Minister is throwing dust into the eyes of the people. The government created a mess, and now that ten months have passed, they are trying to fix it. Funds were already allocated for these health workers, so why the need for a new Cabinet approval?” Dr. Afriyie alleged.
He explained that the previous government had earmarked funds to recruit about 15,000 health workers but managed to employ only 7,000 to 8,000 before leaving office. The rest, he said, were later absorbed by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) even though their clearances had technically expired.
“Money was allocated for 15,000. You came in and 7,000, or almost 8,000, had already started. The remaining were employed by the GHS. Albeit they were late, they were at post. What sort of Cabinet approval do you need when clearance had already been granted?” he questioned.
The Minority insists that the Health Ministry has no valid reason to delay payments since the necessary funds are available. It has therefore demanded immediate action to release the outstanding salaries, accusing the government of incompetence and poor coordination in managing health sector employment.
Dr. Afriyie further urged the Minister to come clean with the public on the true status of the financial clearances and the timeline for resolving the salary delays.
“The Minister must stop misleading the hardworking men and women in our hospitals. They deserve clarity, not confusion,” he said.
The Minority maintains that the government’s handling of the issue reflects a broader pattern of neglect and administrative lapses in the health sector, warning that continued inaction could erode morale among health professionals and undermine service delivery nationwide.
