About 1,300 security service applicants in Ghana tested positive for HIV during recruitment
Minister for the Interior Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak has revealed that approximately 1,300 applicants in Ghana's recent security services recruitment exercise tested positive for HIV during the mandatory medical screening.
The disclosure comes just days after the minister announced that more than 6,000 applicants were disqualified after failing drug and mental health assessments, underscoring the rigorous medical and psychological standards applied during the recruitment process.
Speaking before Parliament's Assurances Committee, Muntaka explained that the government does not disclose medical screening results directly to unsuccessful applicants to prevent unnecessary emotional trauma, particularly for those diagnosed with life-altering conditions such as HIV.
"I remember the recent recruitment we had; I think it was about 1,300 or so that were on HIV. Can you imagine sending somebody a result that tells the person that you have HIV? I mean, that's not the procedure. The person has to go through some orientation."
The minister said applicants who do not meet the medical requirements are instead given contact details to enable them to enquire about the specific reason for their disqualification.
According to him, officials then ensure that affected applicants receive appropriate counselling before any medical diagnosis is disclosed.
Muntaka noted that the procedure aligns with internationally accepted medical practices, including World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, which recommend counselling before communicating certain diagnoses.
"The reason why we didn't send the results directly was that we didn't want the shock. Even based on the WHO guideline, there are certain ailments; you just don't throw it in the person's face that, 'Oh, you have hepatitis B, you have HIV.'"
The interior minister further explained that several of the medical conditions identified during the screening are treatable, making it important for unsuccessful applicants to understand why they were disqualified.
He cited conditions such as hepatitis B, heart-related illnesses, mental health disorders and complications arising from previous surgeries, noting that affected individuals could receive treatment and become eligible to apply in future recruitment exercises.
"Some of the things that we realised are treatable. So people need to know and then also get treatment so that in subsequent recruitment they could join."
Muntaka also encouraged all disqualified applicants to follow up on their screening results rather than abandoning the recruitment process, stressing that early diagnosis could improve access to treatment while increasing their chances of qualifying in future security service recruitment exercises.
Edem Kwame
Edem Kwame is a journalist at GH News Media covering news and national developments in Ghana.
