Gov’t to recruit 20,000 youth for the health sector

The Youth Employment Agency (YEA) in an effort to create jobs, would from February this year recruit 20,000 people to serve as Community Health Workers (CHW).

This would strengthen Ghana’s Community- based Health Planning and Services for primary health care delivery.

The programme would be implemented in collaboration with Ghana Health Service (GHS), World Vision International Ghana and the One Million Community Health Workers Campaign, an international NGO.

It would recruit community health workers who would fill the unemployment gap while promoting universal health coverage, especially for rural and deprived communities.

Speaking during the launch of the CHW module in Accra on Thursday, Mr Harunna Iddrisu, Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, said the programme would not encounter financial challenges since it would be funded by the GET Fund and the Communications Service Tax as stipulated in the YEA Act, 2015.

Mr Iddrisu said the decision to collaborate with agencies such as the World Vision, GHS and the One Million Community Health Campaign was to ensure that it is managed and implemented by credible institutions.

He said the other modules which would be rolled out in the course of the year, would be implemented in collaboration with state and other credible institutions to ensure that recruits or beneficiaries get the needed employment skills after their two years of working under the schemes.

Mr Alex Segbefia, Minister of Health, said Ghana made progress under the Millennium Development Goals hence the need to keep it up by rolling out modules which would sustain the success chalked out.

He said the new module would help Ghanaians, especially rural dwellers who are most of the time in need of primary health care.

Mr Kobina Beecham, Chief Executive Officer, YEA, cited the Youth in Security, Youth in Coastal Sanitation, Youth in Agriculture and Youth in Afforestation Modules as some of the modules or programmes which would be rolled out by the Agency this year.

He noted that although the Agency would only collaborate with state institutions for the implementation of its modules, private agencies with proven track record could also apply to partner with them.

“The Agency would like to state on record that, any institution or organisation indicted in the erstwhile ‘GYEEDA’ Auditor General’s Report will not be considered for any of our current modules,’ he warned.

He said advertisement would soon be put out for recruitment for the various modules soon, adding that this time round there would be no sale of application forms as registrations would be done online or at the various district and regional offices of YEA.

Mr Hurbert Charles, Country Director, World Vision Ghana, said the Organisation would continue to work to enhance health care delivery, as well as prioritise the sustained well-being of children and the vulnerable.

He noted that from 2012 to 2014, World Vision donated medical supplies and equipment valued at $19 million to support the healthcare of Ghana.

“World Vision Ghana in partnership with the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service and partners has provided technical expertise and funding in excess of GH? 465,000.00for the development of the curriculum to train those who would be recruited for the CHW module,” he added.