The Minister for Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has revealed that about 1,300 applicants who participated in the recent security services recruitment exercise tested positive for HIV during the mandatory medical screening.
Appearing before Parliament’s Assurances Committee on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, the Minister said the medical conditions of the applicants were identified at the medical screening stage of the recruitment process.
Mr Muntaka, who also doubles as the Asawase MP, explained that the government deliberately avoided sending medical results directly to applicants without prior counselling, stressing that proper orientation is required when disclosing life-altering health information.
“In the recent recruitment, we had, I think, about 1,300 or so who were HIV. And then they said, can you imagine sending somebody a result without telling the person that you have HIV? That’s not the procedure. The person has to go through some orientation,” he stated.
To safeguard the privacy and well-being of applicants, the Minister said individuals who were disqualified during the recruitment process were provided with contact details to enable them to seek clarification on the reasons 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 to if you want to know why you were disqualified,” he added.
Mr Muntaka further noted that several of the medical conditions detected during the screening are treatable, making it crucial for affected individuals to be informed and encouraged to seek medical care.
“Some of the things that we realised are treatable. People need to know and then also get treatment so that, in subsequent recruitment, they could join,” he said.
Beyond HIV, the medical screening also identified conditions such as hepatitis B, cardiac complications, mental health disorders, histories of major surgeries, and drug-related issues.
The Interior Minister urged unsuccessful applicants to request their medical results, emphasising that some may be living with health conditions they are unaware of but can be effectively managed if detected early.
“It may be something minor; it may be something major. Whichever it is, if you get to know it, it will be of great interest to you,” he noted.
By: Ekow Annan/newsalertgh.com
