The Government of Grenada has announced plans to recruit Ghanaian nurses and allied health professionals to address a critical shortage of healthcare workers in the Caribbean nation.
The initiative forms part of Ghana’s Work Abroad Programme, which seeks to create job opportunities for skilled professionals while strengthening international partnerships.
The announcement was made during the inaugural Ghana–Grenada political consultation in Accra, led by Grenada’s Prime Minister, Dickon Mitchell, who is on a three-day state visit aimed at deepening bilateral relations in health, education, climate change, trade, and investment.
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Grenada’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Export Development, Joseph Andall, highlighted the severe shortage of nurses in his country, describing it as one of their most pressing national challenges.
“We welcome the initiative that has been undertaken in terms of the provision of health care professionals, namely nurses. This is an area in which we have a severe shortage,” Andall said. “We spend huge sums of money to train our nurses and then they are approached by countries that can afford to give them better remuneration packages.”
He revealed that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two governments will soon be signed to provide a framework for structured collaboration in the health sector. He added that the partnership reflects a shared commitment to Pan-African solidarity and mutual development.
“This MoU, when signed, will be a testament to what can be achieved when sisters and brothers come together for mutual assistance,” Andall stated.
Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, welcomed Grenada’s interest in recruiting Ghanaian professionals, describing it as a step toward strengthening South–South cooperation and creating international opportunities for Ghanaian workers.
“On health cooperation, we particularly welcome Grenada’s interest in recruiting Ghanaian nurses and allied health professionals and look forward to the signing of the memorandum of understanding on health cooperation, which will serve as a framework for this structured collaboration,” Ablakwa said.
He added that the discussions also explored educational collaboration, including efforts to address challenges faced by Ghanaian students studying in Grenada under the Scholarship Secretariat.
The Ghana–Grenada talks further covered potential cooperation in trade and investment, tourism, climate change, and multilateral diplomacy.
Joseph Andall emphasised the importance of stronger ties between Africa and the Caribbean, noting that small island nations like Grenada — with a population of about 120,000 — rely on international partnerships to confront shared challenges such as climate vulnerability and economic migration.
“We are tiny islands in the Caribbean with very small populations. A rising and strong Africa could help lift our sisters and brothers in South and Central America out of the difficulties they are currently facing,” he added.
Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell’s state visit is expected to conclude with high-level engagements with former President John Dramani Mahama and other Ghanaian officials to formalise agreements and strengthen bilateral cooperation between Ghana and Grenada.
