The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has disclosed that approximately 1,300 applicants who participated in the recent recruitment exercise for Ghana’s security services tested positive for HIV during mandatory medical screening.
The Minister revealed this when he appeared before Parliament’s Assurances Committee on Tuesday to account for processes and outcomes of the latest recruitment drive.
“In the recent recruitment, we had, I think, about 1,300 or so that were on HIV,” Mr. Muntaka told the Committee. “And then they said, can you imagine sending somebody a result without telling the person that you have HIV? I mean, that’s not the procedure. The person has to go through some orientation.”
According to the Minister, the Ministry adopted a protocol to protect the dignity and privacy of affected applicants. Instead of issuing direct disqualification letters with medical details, candidates were given a contact through which they could make inquiries about the reason for their disqualification.
“So one of the things that we did was simply to say that when you get disqualified, you are given a contact to reach out if you want to know why you were disqualified,” he explained.
Mr. Muntaka emphasized that the approach was intended to ensure that applicants receive proper counselling and guidance before being informed of sensitive health results.
Other Medical Conditions Detected
The Interior Minister said the medical screening also identified several other health conditions among applicants, some of which are treatable with proper medical intervention.
“Some of the things that we realised are treatable. People need to know and then also get treatment so that subsequent recruitment they could join,” he stated.
He listed additional conditions detected to include hepatitis B, cardiac problems, mental health conditions, histories of major surgeries, and drug-related issues.
The Minister urged unsuccessful applicants to take advantage of the contact provided to access their medical results.
“It may be something minor, it may be something major. Whichever it is, if you get to know, it will be of great interest to you,” he said. “This will help them seek treatment early and possibly reapply in future recruitments.”
Security service recruitment in Ghana requires applicants to undergo rigorous medical, physical, and background checks. Health standards are enforced to ensure personnel are fit for the demanding nature of service in the Police Service, Prisons Service, Fire Service, Immigration Service, and other security agencies.
Mr. Muntaka assured Parliament that the Ministry remains committed to transparency and fairness in the recruitment process while also safeguarding the health and well-being of applicants.
He added that the data from the screening will also help inform public health education, particularly on HIV and other communicable diseases among the youth.
The Committee is expected to follow up with the Ministry on how counselling and referral systems for affected applicants will be strengthened going forward.
