The Ministry of Finance has given financial clearance for over 8,000 health personnel to be employed by the Ministry of Health.

The Finance Ministry communicated the clearance via a letter dated 24 May 2018, signed by Deputy Health Minister, Abena Osei-Asare.

“The Hon. Minister for Health is hereby granted financial clearance to enable the Ministry engage the services of Eight Thousand and Forty-Two (8,042) Professional Health Trainees who completed in 2017 and are to undertake a one (1) year mandatory National Service/Internship,” the letter stated.

The financial clearance comes amidst picketing by the Coalition of Unemployed Private Nurses who are demanding immediate posting.

In the letter, the Finance Minister said the effective date of appointing the health professionals should not be earlier than 1 April 2018, and also directed that the emoluments of the personnel should be charged against the Compensation of Employees vote of the Ministry of Health in the 2018 Annual Estimates.

The letter also said the Ministry of Health has to fast-track processes to put the new employees on the Mechanized Payroll to enable the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department effect payment of their salaries.

“The Ministry of Health is however entreated to inform all Human Resource Managers at the various facilities across the country to process the documents of all staff who are granted financial clearance on time to avoid accumulation of salary arrears.”

The letter said the financial clearance expires on 31 December 2018.