Ghanaian specialist nurses to fill gaps in health sector
Published:Tuesday | January 27, 2026 | 12:11 AMSashana Small/Staff Reporter
The deployment of Ghanaian health workers and teachers to Jamaica topped the agenda during the first official visit of the Republic of Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Samuel Okudzeto, as he signalled his country’s intention to broaden its partnership with Jamaica.
Okudzeto, who arrived in Jamaica on Saturday for a three-day visit, said he was gratified by the swift attention a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on health cooperation has been receiving.
“We hope that this year, 2026, the first batch of nurses from Ghana will arrive here in Jamaica. I believe it is in our power to make that possible,” he said during a media briefing before official bilateral talks yesterday.
He also indicated the African nation’s intention to export teachers to Jamaica under an MOU, stating that the visa waiver implemented by both countries in 2019 presents a catalyst for meaningful people exchange.
Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton told The Gleaner that the collaboration centres around health exchanges, where Ghanaian specialist nurses would come to Jamaica for two to three years to fill shortfalls in Jamaica’s health sector.
“The standards are similar, they have a supply that is larger than ours, and we think the Ghanaians would be a good addition to our current team and certainly fill some of the critical gaps that we have, because we can’t recruit locally to fill those gaps,” he said.
Okudzeto also outlined Ghana’s plans to deepen engagement with Jamaica in areas of trade, investment, health, education, tourism, arts and culture, and technical exchange.
“These actions symbolise the essence of South-South cooperation, and Ghana’s belief that international cooperation must be practical, responsible, and coordinate genuine solidarity,” he said.
Further, he noted that the years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, which fostered mutually beneficial cooperation across multiple sectors, underscored the need for Jamaica and Ghana to formalise a defence cooperation agreement.
“Our Ghana forces and the Jamaica Defence Force are working so well, and it is not acceptable that we do not have a formalised defence cooperation agreement,” he said.
Jamaica welcomed 49 army engineers and five medical doctors from the Republic of Ghana in December last year, to assist in the reconstruction and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.
Okudzeto said earlier discussion has suggested that a defence cooperation agreement should focus on peace, “so that the Jamaica Defence Force can partner with the Ghana Armed Forces to create the capacity for peace operations, because Jamaica wants to really contribute to world peace which, as you know, is so important”.
He pointed out that Ghana is highly ranked as a contributor of uniformed personnel to United Nations peacekeeping missions.
Meanwhile, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, Jamaica’s minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade, lauded the support of the Ghanaian government to Jamaica’s hurricane recovery efforts, noting that the bilateral meetings represent an important step in the advancement of Jamaica-Ghana relations.
“Jamaica deeply values this demonstration of kinship and remains profoundly grateful to the government and people of Ghana for their support,” she said.
While reaffirming Ghana’s unwavering commitment to nurturing its partnership with Jamaica, Okudzeto said both countries share goals and support the evolution of a more just and representative international system.
He stressed the need to bolster cooperation and work to amplify the voice of smaller states and “strengthen South-South collaboration, and ensure that global governance structures reflect the priorities and aspirations of all countries”.