Health officials say 123 Ghanaian nurses have been approved to work in Antigua and Barbuda following a multi-stage recruitment and vetting process that reviewed 190 applications under a Cabinet-authorized initiative to address staffing shortages in the public health system.

According to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment, 190 applications were received during the recruitment mission conducted in Accra, Ghana. Of those, 32 applicants were rejected at the preliminary stage due to incomplete documentation or ineligibility.

A total of 158 candidates advanced to in-person, competency-based interviews conducted by a senior multidisciplinary panel that included nursing leadership, hospital administrators and public health officials.

Following the interviews, 127 candidates were recommended for vetting by the Antigua and Barbuda Nursing Council. After regulatory review, 123 registered nurses were approved by the council, with 112 ultimately selected for deployment based on service needs across hospitals, mental health services and community clinics.

Health officials said all recommendations were reached collectively using predefined criteria and that no standards were compromised during the selection process. Candidates who did not meet Antigua and Barbuda’s legal or professional requirements were not approved, even if they were qualified in their home country.

Authorities stressed that all approved nurses remain subject to final professional registration, police and medical clearances, and immigration approval before being allowed to practice locally.