Ghanaian nurses recruited for employment in Saint Kitts and Nevis are set to receive improved working conditions following an additional bilateral labour agreement between the two countries.
Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced the development after signing the agreement with Saint Kitts and Nevis Deputy Prime Minister Dr Geoffrey Hanley on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The arrangement provides Ghanaian healthcare workers with legally safeguarded pay packages, medical insurance, housing allowances and end-of-contract benefits, alongside other employment protections.
Mr Ablakwa said the agreement strengthens the terms under which Ghanaian nurses will serve in the Caribbean nation.
Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa with Saint Kitts and Nevis Deputy Prime Minister Dr Geoffrey Hanley
The latest deal builds on an agreement reached in March to support the recruitment and temporary placement of Ghanaian medical personnel in Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Authorities in the Caribbean federation said the initiative was designed to ease staffing gaps within its health sector while providing qualified Ghanaian professionals with organised employment opportunities.
In June, 47 Ghanaian nurses travelled to Saint Kitts and Nevis for two-year assignments through the Ghana Labour Exchange Programme.
The delegation comprised 32 general nurses and 15 community and public health practitioners.
Under the initial arrangement, the personnel were expected to receive accommodation, wages, transport, meals and other benefits agreed by both governments.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong