PHFAoG calls for inclusion in government health workers posting policy

The Private Health Facilities Association of Ghana (PHFAoG) has called on the government to extend staffing support arrangements to private health facilities, arguing that the country's healthcare workforce challenges cannot be resolved by excluding a major segment of the health sector.

In a statement issued on Monday, June 22, 2026, and signed by its President, Dr. Kwame Buabeng-Frimpong, PHFAoG responded to remarks made by the Minister of Health in Parliament on June 16, 2026.

The Minister had stated that government could only recruit and post fully compensated health workers to non-profit private health institutions such as the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG). The comments were made in response to a parliamentary question by Alexander Akwasi Acquah on plans to engage the private sector in absorbing more health professionals and improving access to quality healthcare.

PHFAoG acknowledged the contributions of GHS and CHAG to healthcare delivery but stressed that its members also play a critical role in serving millions of Ghanaians across the country.

“Our members operate over 3,000 health facilities across Ghana, serving more than 40 percent of the population who seek care outside public facilities daily. From Accra and Kumasi to rural districts, our clinics, maternity homes and hospitals are often the first and only point of care for many communities,” the statement said.

The association argued that private facilities shoulder the same healthcare responsibilities as public institutions, including maternal and child healthcare, treatment of non-communicable diseases, emergency services and the delivery of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) services.

According to PHFAoG, “The current staffing deficit in both public and private sectors cannot be solved by leaving one segment out. We carry the same national burden and face the same challenges in training, retaining and paying health workers.”

The association further cautioned that excluding private facilities from staffing support risks creating inequalities in healthcare access.

“Ghana’s healthcare system is a mixed system by design. PHFAoG members are not profit-first at the expense of public good. We are a vital partner in achieving Universal Health Coverage. Excluding us from staffing support creates a two-tier system where a patient’s access to a nurse or midwife depends on the signboard of the facility, not their medical need,” the statement noted.

PHFAoG emphasized that it was not seeking preferential treatment or full government compensation for staff posted to its facilities. Instead, it called for constructive dialogue to develop a sustainable and mutually beneficial arrangement.

The association proposed staff posting support for private health facilities, particularly in underserved communities, alongside discussions on alternative compensation models such as partial salary support, bonded postings, tax relief incentives and results-based funding linked to NHIS and Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) delivery.

“We are not asking for full compensation from government. We are proposing dialogue to arrive at a mutually beneficial compensation framework that protects both fiscal discipline and healthcare access,” Dr. Buabeng-Frimpong stated.

The association also called for formal stakeholder engagement involving the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Finance to design a long-term solution to the staffing challenges facing the health sector.

Concluding the statement, PHFAoG appealed to the government to consider the healthcare needs of all Ghanaians regardless of where they seek treatment.

“The Ghanaian who walks into a PHFAoG hospital, clinic or maternity home in labour at 2 a.m. deserves the same chance at a skilled midwife as the one who walks into a GHS or CHAG facility. Healthcare is not about ownership structure; it is about lives,” the statement said.

PHFAoG reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with government to strengthen Ghana’s healthcare system and urged the Ministry of Health to initiate urgent discussions on staffing support mechanisms for private health facilities.

Read the full statement below:
PRESS STATEMENT
PHFAOG RESPONDS TO MINISTER OF HEALTH’S REMARKS ON STAFFING SUPPORT FOR PRIVATE HEALTH FACILITIES

Date: June 22, 2026
For Immediate Release
The Private Health Facilities Association of Ghana (PHFAoG) has taken note of the Minister of Health’s statement in Parliament on 16th June, 2026 that government can only recruit and post staff with full compensation to non-profit private health facilities such as GHS and CHAG. This was in response to a question asked by the member of parliament for Akim Oda, Hon. Alexander Akwasi Acquah on how the ministry plans to engage with the private sector to absorb more health professionals into the workforce and improve access to quality healthcare.

PHFAoG acknowledges the critical role GHS and CHAG plays in Ghana’s health delivery. However, we wish to bring to the Minister’s attention that PHFAoG members operate over 3,000 health facilities across Ghana, serving more than 40% of Ghanaian population who seek care outside public facilities daily. From Accra, Kumasi to rural districts, our clinics, maternity homes, and hospitals are often the first and only point of care for many communities.

1. Equal Burden, Equal Need:
PHFAoG facilities carry the same national burden: maternal health, child health, Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), emergency care, NHIS services. We train, retain, and pay health workers under the same economic pressures. The current staffing deficit in both public and private sectors cannot be solved by leaving one segment out.

2. Partnership, Not Preference:
Ghana’s healthcare is a mixed system by design. PHFAoG members are not "profit-first" at the expense of public good. We are a vital partner and an accelerant in the attainment of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Excluding us from staffing support creates a two-tier system where a patient’s access to a nurse or midwife depends on the signboard of the facility, not their medical need.

3. Our Request: Dialogue, Not Division:
PHFAoG is not asking for preferential treatment. We are asking for inclusion. We propose:

1. Staff posting support for PHFAoG facilities across the country and especially, in underserved areas, similar to current CHAG arrangements.

2. Compensation model discussion: We are open to a mutually beneficial framework. Options include partial salary support, bonded postings, tax relief offsets, or results-based funding tied to NHIS/CHPS services delivered.

3. Formal stakeholder engagement with MOH, GHS, and MoF to design a sustainable model that protects both fiscal discipline and health access.

Conclusion
Honourable Minister, the Ghanaian who walks into a PHFAoG hospital, clinic, maternity home, health centre, etc in labour at 2am deserves the same chance at a skilled midwife as the one who walks into a GHS or CHAG facility. Healthcare is not about ownership structure. It’s about lives.

We wish to bring to the attention of the Minister as is also clearly depicted in our previous advocacy efforts for staffing support; we are not asking for full compensation from the government but are rather proposing a dialogue to arrive at a mutually beneficial compensation framework.

PHFAoG remains committed to working with Government to strengthen Ghana’s health system for all. We respectfully request urgent engagement to discuss staffing support mechanisms for our members.

Signed,
Dr. Kwame Buabeng-Frimpong
President

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