Ghanaian specialist nurses arrive in Jamaica to bolster healthcare

A first cohort of 43 specialist nurses from Ghana has arrived in Jamaica to bolster the nation’s healthcare workforce. This deployment is part of a four-year bilateral health cooperation agreement between the two countries, which aims to eventually bring approximately 400 healthcare workers to Jamaica.

The nurses possess expertise in several critical fields, including oncology, pediatrics, critical care, mental health, emergency care, midwifery, and operating theatre procedures. They will be stationed at various public hospitals, with a significant number assigned to the Western Regional Health Authority and the South East Regional Health Authority. Other nurses will serve in different health regions and at the University Hospital of the West Indies.

Jamaica’s Minister of Health, Dr. Christopher Tufton, noted that the arrival is a vital step in addressing gaps within the health sector. The broader arrangement follows the revival of the Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation between Ghana and Jamaica.