Barbados has expanded its healthcare workforce with the arrival of 155 Ghanaian nurses, who landed at the Grantley Adams International Airport on November 3, 2024. The new arrivals, accompanied by Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Health, Adelaide Ntim, were greeted by Barbados’ Minister of Health and Wellness, Senator Dr. The Most Honourable Jerome Walcott, and other officials.
This is the third cohort of nurses from Ghana to join Barbados’ healthcare system since the partnership between the two countries began in 2020 to address Barbados’ nursing shortage. The initial group of 95 nurses arrived during the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by 120 more in 2022. Many of these healthcare professionals have since integrated well, with some choosing to make Barbados their permanent home.
The newly arrived nurses are set to work in specialized areas, including cardiology, emergency theatre, midwifery, psychiatry, and geriatrics, at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and various primary care facilities. Minister Walcott expressed optimism that the nurses’ expertise will enhance healthcare delivery across Barbados.
Deputy Minister Ntim emphasized Ghana’s abundance of trained nurses, many of whom face unemployment back home. She expressed confidence that the new group would continue to uphold the high standards set by previous cohorts in Barbados’ healthcare system.