The Government of Grenada has revealed plans to enlist Ghanaian nurses and allied health workers to help mitigate a significant shortage of medical personnel in the Caribbean country.
This initiative aligns with Ghana’s Work Abroad Programme, which seeks to expand employment prospects for skilled workers.
The announcement was made during the first-ever Ghana–Grenada political dialogue held in Accra, headed by Grenada’s Prime Minister, Dickon Mitchell, who is currently on a three-day official visit.
The visit is anticipated to enhance diplomatic ties between the two nations across vital sectors such as healthcare, education, climate action, commerce, and investment.
Grenada’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Export Development, Joseph Andall, emphasized the country’s pressing demand for nurses, calling it one of their most urgent national concerns.
“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,” he stated.
“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.”
Andall noted that a forthcoming Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two governments will establish a formal structure for cooperation in the health sector.
He further remarked that the collaboration signifies a mutual dedication to Pan-African unity and shared progress.
“This MoU, when signed, will be a testament to what can be achieved when sisters and brothers come together for mutual assistance,” he affirmed.
Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, expressed the government’s enthusiasm for leveraging such alliances to open doors for Ghanaian professionals and reinforce South-South partnerships.
“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,” he said.
He also mentioned that the talks addressed education and vocational training, with a pledge to resolve issues affecting Ghanaian students in Grenada under the Scholarship Secretariat.
The Ghana–Grenada discussions extended to broader areas of cooperation, including commerce and investment, environmental sustainability, tourism, and multilateral relations.
Joseph Andall underscored the value of Africa-Caribbean alliances, pointing out that small island nations like Grenada — with a population of roughly 120,000 — rely heavily on robust global partnerships to confront shared challenges such as climate risks 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 visit is set to wrap up with a series of top-level meetings with John Dramani Mahama and other Ghanaian officials, aimed at cementing agreements and advancing bilateral cooperation between Ghana and Grenada
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