Ghana has deployed 47 health professionals to St. Kitts and Nevis as part of the Ghana Labour Exchange Programme (GLEP), a government-led initiative aimed at creating structured overseas employment pathways for skilled workers.
The group, which includes 15 Community Health Nurses and 32 General Nurses, is the second cohort to be sent abroad since the current administration took office.
The departure ceremony was addressed by Deputy Chief of Staff Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, speaking on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama and Chief of Staff Julius Debrah.
She described the deployment as a milestone in Ghana’s labour mobility strategy, calling it “the beginning of a new dawn” for organised and ethical overseas employment.
“On behalf of my principal and on behalf of the President of the Republic of Ghana, H .E John Dramani Mahama, I wish each and every one of you safe travels, good health, and every success,” she said.
According to government officials, the GLEP initiative is designed to address unemployment among Ghana’s trained health workforce, which is estimated to include more than 105,000 qualified professionals currently not fully absorbed into the domestic labour market.
Ms. Bampoe Addo explained that without structured programmes such as GLEP, many health workers would seek opportunities abroad independently, often without formal protections or guaranteed contracts.
“GLEP changes that. It creates legal, dignified, and beneficial pathways for our health workers to serve abroad while Ghana retains the relationship, the knowledge, and the benefits that come from their service,” she said.
She further linked the programme to broader policy discussions under the Accra Reset initiative, which seeks to strengthen global cooperation in health and other sectors while ensuring national sovereignty remains central to international partnerships.
Addressing the departing nurses, she urged them to serve as responsible ambassadors of Ghana and to uphold professional standards throughout their deployment.
“You are Ghanaians first. As you go, you carry Ghana with you. Make us proud. You are going the legal and structured way, and you must stay legal,” she said, encouraging them to respect the laws of St. Kitts and Nevis and maintain high ethical standards.
She also emphasized that the programme is intended to be temporary, stressing expectations for participants to return after their overseas assignments.
“We are not sending you away permanently. We are sending you out to grow, so that Ghana grows with you,” she added.
The Deputy Chief of Staff also expressed appreciation to the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis for supporting the programme and assured continued cooperation between both countries.
“We assure the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis of Ghana’s full support, cooperation, and commitment to a deepening bilateral relationship,” she said.
She concluded by encouraging the health workers to excel in their duties abroad and return with experience that would contribute to national development.
“Go well, serve well, and come back with stories of excellence that make your families, your profession, and your country proud.
This is the beginning of a new dawn. God bless our homeland Ghana.”
