The Government of Ghana has deployed 120 nurses to Antigua and Barbuda under a Labour Exchange Programme aimed at addressing a critical shortage of health workers that has placed increasing strain on the Caribbean nation’s health system.
The group of nurses departed Ghana over the weekend, stepping in to support the continuity of health service delivery in Antigua and Barbuda at a time when uncertainty surrounds the country’s long-standing cooperation with Cuba. The development follows heightened pressure by the Trump administration on Caribbean states to discontinue agreements with the Cuban Medical Brigade, which Washington has described as exploitative.
The nurses were seen off at the Kotoka International Airport by the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah; the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah-Akandoh; and the Minister of State in Charge of Special Initiatives, Emmanuel Kwadwo Agyekum. Their deployment underscores the deepening bilateral ties between Ghana and the Caribbean and forms part of a broader policy direction to strategically export Ghana’s growing health workforce through structured international partnerships.
Upon arrival, the nurses will be posted to the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, as well as selected community health clinics and schools, to reinforce frontline health delivery across hospitals and community-based facilities. The intervention is expected to help avert a looming crisis in one of Antigua and Barbuda’s most sensitive and critical sectors.
The Ghanaian contingent will support a health system currently facing a deficit of approximately 400 nurses, with Antigua and Barbuda relying on about 260 local nurses and 33 Cuban nurses. The addition of the Ghanaian nurses is expected to significantly ease pressure on the overstretched system, as the government moves to stabilise and strengthen health care delivery through bilateral cooperation.
The deployment marks the culmination of a bilateral recruitment process that began in September 2025, during which 190 applications were received. Thirty-two applicants were disqualified on documentation and eligibility grounds, while 120 nurses were ultimately selected after successfully completing a rigorous, structured, competency-based assessment process from the remaining pool.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Ms. Stacey Gregg-Paige, noted that the initiative was implemented in close collaboration with the Government of Ghana through the Ministry of State in Charge of Special Initiatives at the Office of the President, under the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding and a Labour Agreement.
She explained that both instruments were comprehensively reviewed and vetted by the Ministry of Legal Affairs and confirmed to be consistent with Antigua and Barbuda’s legal, regulatory, and policy frameworks before being formally accepted by the Government of Ghana.
“Both instruments were comprehensively reviewed and vetted by the Ministry of Legal Affairs, confirmed to be consistent with Antigua and Barbuda’s legal, regulatory and policy framework, and formally accepted by the Government of Ghana.
“Accordingly, this initiative is lawful, transparent and structured, and operates fully within established public service, regulatory and immigration requirements,” she said
Meanwhile, Medical Director of the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, Dr. Shivon Belle-Jarvis, disclosed that arrangements are underway to place the nurses on a three-week orientation programme to familiarise them with local protocols and standards, ensuring smooth integration into Antigua and Barbuda’s health system.
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