The government has shut down the Health Training Institutions Secretariat in Accra.

The Secretariat was inaugurated by the former Health Minister Alex Segbefia in November 2015 as a regulatory body for all 85 public and private health institutions.

Its main purpose was to supervise student intake into such schools and the tuition fees they charged.

But the Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia at a Town Hall meeting on Monday to mark 100 days of the Akufo-Addo government, described the Secretariat as “419”, implying that it was a scam.

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“We have dissolved the Health Training Institutions [Secretariat]. It was mainly, practically a 419 institute which was engaged in collecting monies from prospective applicants, but we have dissolved it and in addition we have reduced the cost of nurse training admission forms from GHS160 to GHS100 and this will cover all the processes leading to admission,” he said.

He further indicated that approval has been given to employ 11,000 health trainees who graduated between 2012 and 2016.

The vice president also reiterated that the training allowance for nurses had been restored and it will take effect from September.

He said that the government had secured financial clearance to employ 181 doctors who completed their residency seven months ago.