The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has disclosed that approximately 1,300 applicants who participated in Ghana’s recent security services recruitment exercise tested positive for HIV during mandatory medical examinations, sparking fresh discussions about medical screening, confidentiality and eligibility requirements for enlistment into the country’s security agencies.

The revelation was made when the Minister appeared before Parliament’s Assurances Committee on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, to provide updates on issues arising from the nationwide recruitment exercise conducted for the various security services.

Medical screening has long been an integral component of recruitment into Ghana’s security agencies, including the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana National Fire Service and Ghana Prisons Service. Beyond academic qualifications and physical fitness assessments, applicants are required to undergo comprehensive medical examinations to determine whether they meet the health standards necessary for the physically demanding nature of security work.

Successive governments have maintained the policy to ensure recruits are medically fit for service while safeguarding the operational effectiveness of the country’s security institutions.

Addressing Members of Parliament, Muntaka disclosed that medical examinations conducted during the latest recruitment exercise identified about 1,300 applicants living with HIV, alongside several other health conditions that rendered some candidates ineligible under existing recruitment guidelines.

The Interior Minister explained that government deliberately decided against communicating medical results electronically or through impersonal means, arguing that informing individuals of life-changing diagnoses such as HIV requires professional counselling and psychological support.

According to him, simply sending test results to applicants without proper counselling could have serious emotional and psychological consequences.

“In the recent recruitment, we had, I think, about 1,300 or so who were HIV. 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,” the Minister told the Committee.

He stressed that protecting the privacy and dignity of applicants remained a key consideration throughout the recruitment process.

Muntaka explained that rather than publicly disclosing reasons for disqualification, every unsuccessful applicant was provided with contact details through which they could confidentially inquire about the reasons behind their unsuccessful application.

According to him, the arrangement was intended to protect applicants’ confidential medical information while ensuring that those who wished to know the outcome of their medical assessments could receive appropriate explanations and counselling.

The Minister further revealed that HIV was not the only medical condition detected during the screening exercise.

He disclosed that medical teams also identified applicants suffering from hepatitis B, heart-related complications, mental health disorders, histories of major surgical procedures, and drug-related conditions, all of which formed part of the comprehensive medical assessment undertaken during the recruitment process.

Muntaka noted that many of these conditions are treatable and should not necessarily represent permanent barriers to future recruitment if affected individuals receive appropriate medical care.

He encouraged applicants who were disqualified on medical grounds to obtain their medical reports, seek professional treatment where necessary and reapply during future recruitment exercises once they satisfy the prescribed medical requirements.

“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.

The Minister added that some unsuccessful applicants may be unaware they are living with potentially serious health conditions and that the recruitment exercise had inadvertently provided an opportunity for early diagnosis and medical intervention.

“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 stated.