Ranking Member on Parliament’s Health Committee, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie, is urging government to make room in the upcoming mid-year budget review to meet the demands of striking nurses and midwives, stressing that the country’s legal framework permits such adjustments during the fiscal year.
Speaking at a minority press conference in Accra on Tuesday, June 10, Dr. Afriyie dismissed claims that budgetary constraints prevent immediate action on the concerns raised by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), which has launched an indefinite nationwide strike.
“The mid-year budget review allows it. The law of this country has no gaps,” he insisted. “It takes things like this—that towards the course of the year, when there are developments, you come back to Parliament for another approval. That is why you have the mid-year budget review.”
His comments come as the strike continues without resolution, following GRNMA’s outright rejection of government’s proposal to postpone the implementation of new conditions of service until 2026.
Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has previously warned that accommodating the full demands of the nurses and midwives could severely impact the country’s finances.
“We wish to draw attention to the fact that the conditions 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,” the minister cautioned.
But Dr. Afriyie criticised what he sees as the government’s inflexible stance and called for a shift in attitude to bring the crisis to an end. “The posturing of government must change,” he said.
