The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has rejected claims that the recruitment portal of the Ministry of Health is fraudulent, insisting that the challenges being experienced are due to the overwhelming number of applicants trying to access the system at the same time.The minister’s comments follow growing frustration among health workers seeking employment, many of whom have complained about difficulties accessing the online recruitment portal.Some prospective applicants have described the system as ineffective, while others on social media have alleged that the recruitment process is a scam.Speaking to journalists after commissioning a Free Primary Healthcare post at the Madina Polyclinic on Thursday, May 14, the minister dismissed the allegations and assured applicants that the recruitment exercise is genuine.“The portal is the one that has been announced by the Ministry of Health,” he said. “Somebody got to me and said that, look, the portal was opened at 10 and by 10:06, when I wanted access, I mean, I couldn’t enter.”Mr. Akandoh said checks conducted by the Ministry showed that several people were successfully accessing the portal every second.“You realise that about 10 people enter every second. So, it’s very, very competitive and it depends on where you are, your connectivity, and all that,” he explained.He acknowledged public concerns over the process but assured applicants that the ministry was working on additional measures to improve recruitment.“I appreciate the concerns, but you know, we have a challenge at this point in time. And so, we will do something that everybody’s heart will be put to rest,” he said.Responding to allegations that no recruitment was taking place, the minister promised full transparency once the process is completed.“I’ve heard people describing it as a scam, that no recruitment is being done, and all that. Don’t worry, you know how I do my things,” he said.“At the end of the day, we are going to publish everything. We are going to publish it district by district, region by region, where you’ll go for your interview. So, if it is a scam, everybody will know,” he added.Mr Akandoh also disclosed that the ministry was considering additional strategies to support recruitment into the health sector while managing the migration of health professionals abroad.“So, please, with time, we are adapting other strategies to do more recruitment, facilitating the migration of health professionals outside the country and absorbing some,” he said.The Health Minister further warned applicants to be cautious of fraudsters taking advantage of the current situation to deceive desperate job seekers.He said some individuals have been using the names of public officials and politicians to scam unsuspecting people online.“Even before I became a health minister, you can ask members of parliament. They are using their names all over on several platforms. They are duping people,” he stated.Mr Akandoh challenged victims and the public to provide evidence against anyone involved in fraudulent recruitment activities, promising swift action against offenders.“You get us the slightest evidence, and then we’ll deal with the person. We’ll give you to the national security people; we’ll give you to the security people and follow up,” he said.During the event, the minister also spoke about the government’s Free Primary Healthcare programme, saying that the initiative is being funded locally rather than through donor support.“And let me tell you that we are running this programme not on loans and not on grants. It is you and I, our money,” he stated.He therefore called for the responsible use of public resources to ensure the sustainability of the programme.According to him, the programme will be financed through the National Health Insurance Fund without creating additional bureaucratic structures.“His Excellency says we’re not going to set up any parallel bureaucratic steps to finance the free primary health care,” he said.Mr Akandoh explained that implementation would involve the Ghana Health Service and private healthcare providers.“So, let us all be part of the system. Let us all own the system so that we can, at the end of the day, get the full benefit,” he urged.