Jamaica has officially welcomed its first cohort of 43 specialist nurses from Ghana, marking a significant milestone in efforts to reinforce the island’s health sector and expand clinical care services. The health professionals arrived on Monday, September 28, 2026, and were celebrated later that evening at a welcome reception hosted at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston.
Speaking at the reception, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, expressed deep confidence in the expertise and dedication of the Ghanaian medical personnel. She noted that as Jamaica expands its health infrastructure, the nurses’ technical knowledge, professional care, commitment, and shared kinship will provide a powerful boost to national healthcare delivery. State Minister in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Hon. Krystal Lee, also joined in receiving the delegation alongside Head of Delegation and Acting Chief Nurse Evelyn Amoako, President of the Ghanaian Association of Jamaica Dr. William Brown, and Consultant Physician Dr. Francis Kpormego.
The arrival of these specialists is part of the broader Jamaica–Ghana Bilateral Health Cooperation Agreement, an initiative targeting the recruitment of 400 healthcare workers to bolster Jamaica’s medical workforce. The incoming nurses possess specialized skills across key clinical fields, including critical care, operating theatre, emergency care, paediatrics, oncology, mental health/psychiatric care, and nursing/midwifery.
Senator Johnson Smith highlighted that the program is a concrete example of “diplomacy in action”. The initiative originated during discussions held in May 2025 between Senator Johnson Smith and Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, on the margins of the Organization of African Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) Council of Ministers meeting in Brussels, Belgium. She emphasized that this collaboration elevates historical and cultural connections between the two nations into a modern, structured partnership centered on practical, people-based service.
The majority of the 43 nurse specialists will be deployed across the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA)—serving St. James, Westmoreland, Trelawny, and Hanover—and the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA), which covers Kingston, St. Andrew, St. Thomas, and St. Catherine.
