Health tutors demand better conditions, legal backing at AGM

April 30, 2026

Tutors from over 72 public health training institutions across Ghana converged in Ejisu, Ashanti Region, for the Health Tutors Association of Ghana’s (HeTAG) Annual General Meeting, where they raised pressing concerns over poor conditions of service, stalled promotions, unpaid allowances, and the absence of legal backing for their institutions.

A man in a traditional blue outfit smiles warmly while sitting at a table with a woman beside him, who is holding a notebook. They are both engaged in a discussion, and the setting includes a plain background and a water bottle on the table.

National President Dr. Simon Agongo Azure used the platform to call for urgent government action, painting a picture of a profession that continues to produce the country’s healthcare workforce while its own welfare remains neglected.

A panel of speakers sitting at a table during the AGM with a banner in the background announcing the event details.

At the heart of the association’s grievances is the absence of an approved scheme of service, a foundational document that would define roles, responsibilities, and expectations for health tutors. Though work on it began under the previous administration and has continued under the current government, it remains unapproved.

Equally pressing is the lack of a Legislative Instrument (LI) to legally establish health training institutions as tertiary institutions. “The Ministry made us to understand that as it stands now, we don’t have an LI that establishes the schools,” Dr. Azure said, adding that the Ministry is currently working on administrative guidelines to be laid before Parliament. He stressed that the LI is central to resolving most of the association’s other demands. “If the LI were to be in force, any demand you are making, you have to make reference to the LI. Because the LI requires you to do this and therefore your conditions will be tied to that LI,” he explained.

A large audience attending an Annual General Meeting (AGM) in a conference hall, with speakers at the front, including a podium and a banner displaying 'AGM Annual General Meeting'.

On pay, Dr. Azure argued that health tutors hold qualifications comparable to university and College of Education lecturers, yet their remuneration falls far short. “We have people who hold PhD, and yet the conditions of service are not comparable to the universities. Why should that be so?” he questioned.

The issue of book and research allowances has also festered for years. “We will get to a point where our names are validated to be sent to the Ministry of Finance for payment. We will keep on hearing stories: ‘It will be done today, tomorrow,’ and so on, but we don’t have any fruitful outcome of it,” he lamented.

A woman speaking at a podium during the Health Tutors Association of Ghana's Annual General Meeting, with a banner detailing the event behind her.

Career progression has similarly hit a wall. The rank of Chief Health Tutor, the terminal grade for the profession, has effectively been blocked, shutting out qualified tutors from reaching the peak of their careers. “We don’t even get the opportunity to be promoted to that grade,” Dr. Azure said.

On the question of professional development, Joyce Yegeyia, a representative from the Health Training Institution at the Ministry of Health, said government has rolled out PhD scholarship support for health tutors as institutions move toward degree-awarding status. “Some are already in school, some too are yet to take up these courses to equip themselves with the prerequisite skills,” she said, noting that the scheme currently covers only those enrolling in Ghanaian universities. “For those who are applying to any of the universities within the country, they will be considered. But if it is outside of Ghana, that is not part of the PhD scholarship for now,” she added. Interviews for shortlisted applicants have already been conducted, with results expected after administrative processes are completed.

Two men sitting at a table during an event, wearing matching white t-shirts with logos, with bottles of water and notebooks in front of them.

Also speaking at the AGM, Director of Ghana Adventist Health Services and Human Resource Expert Dr. James Antwi described the gathering as both timely and necessary, arguing that health tutors represent one of the most underleveraged assets in Ghana’s healthcare system. “Who cares for the caregiver? They are producing thousands of graduates, but sometimes they are not in the spotlight; they are not recognized,” he said. He further noted that investment in a single health tutor yields decades of returns for the nation. “With the cedi that we spend on health tutor, I think will produce about 20, 30 years of graduates for the nation,” he emphasised.

Despite the weight of the grievances, Dr. Azure struck a collaborative note toward the Ministry of Health, commending its leadership for remaining accessible. “Anytime we approach them, they give us a listening ear, they attend to us, and they try to see what our issues are,” he said, reaffirming the association’s readiness to partner with the Ministry in advancing the country’s health training agenda.