Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah AkandohThe Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has assured the public that the ministry will soon publish a list of facilities where medical care can be sought amid the ongoing strike by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA).
This, he explained, will help cushion facilities affected by the industrial action and serve as an alternative for patients who need nursing services.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, June 10, the minister said, “The Ministry will in the next few hours publish a comprehensive list of facilities to complement facilities where nursing services are lacking and where patients can seek healthcare.”
GRNMA members are on strike over unpaid allowances and unfulfilled aspects of their 2024 Collective Agreement.
Key among their demands are a 13th-month salary, fuel and medical allowances, rural incentive allowances, renewal of practising licences, and the provision of uniforms.
But Deputy Finance Minister, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, says government will need over GHS2 billion to meet the full demands—an amount he says will destabilise the economy.
“We wish to draw attention to the fact that the conditions of service under reference are not captured in the 2025 budget and will completely throw the economy off-gear if implemented immediately in the manner it currently exists.
“We are mindful of the serious economic consequences of unbudgeted expenditure and want to avoid the economic slippages that led to hardships in the recent past,” he added.
In an effort to minimise the impact of the strike, the health minister has also called on retired nurses and midwives to temporarily volunteer their services.
“Given the urgency of the situation and suffering of patients, government appeals to public-spirited, retired nurses and midwives to volunteer their services for a brief period pending the resolution of this impasse,” he said.
