During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government hired more than 58,000 healthcare professionals, according to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
He stated that the government was committed to ensuring the security of all Ghanaians and that it had made some challenging but necessary decisions, such as the hiring of healthcare professionals.
He said “Our priority then was the health and safety of Ghanaians and that is why we put in place a comprehensive strategy in place to deal with the virus whose incidences were unknown, and we were restrained from shaking hands and hugging each other, and we had to endure stress caused by the poking of our noses and throats anytime we underwent a PCR swap.”
Speaking at the Accra International Conference Center’s National Honours and Awards ceremony, Nana Addo said “the government also found the money to recruit, on a permanent basis, 58,041 more health professionals. COVID-19 inspired our domestic manufacturing capabilities and deepened our self-reliance. The pharmaceutical industry under my instigation responded positively to the need for the domestic production of sanitizers, disinfectants, and liquid soaps.”
Additionally, he stated that Ghana purchased GH 81 million worth of personal protective equipment from domestic garment and textile manufacturing companies for use by health workers and students who took final exams at the time, including face masks, clothing, medical scrubs, and hospital gowns.