Over 3,000 Nurses Left Ghana For Better Conditions Abroad In First Quarter 2022: Official Fears Looming Crisis

• Nurses are leaving Ghana in huge numbers for better conditions in Europe and America, according to the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA)
• The GRNMA has said over 3,000 of its members have left Ghana by March 2022 because of poor salaries and conditions of service
• The Association says there is a looming crisis and has urged the authorities to intervene

Poor working conditions have compelled over 3,000 nurses in Ghana to migrate to other countries in the first quarter of 2022 for better opportunities, according to the mother association.

The disclosure was made by a top executive of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), who fears a looming crisis.

According to a 3News report, GRNMA secretary for the Ashanti Region, Ebenezer Acquah, told Akoma FM that the migration of Ghanaian health workers, particularly nurses, to Europe and America needs to stop.

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He wants the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service and other government agencies in the health sector to intervene.

“There will be empty hospitals,” Mr Acquah fears.

He said the over 3,000 members of the GRNMA that left Ghana by March 2022 cited better working conditions in these countries as their motivation.

“Salaries for nurses are very low [in Ghana]. For the past two years, we haven’t adjusted our salaries meanwhile cost of living is on the rise so somehow we the executives understand the frustrations of our members,” the 3News reported quoted Mr Acquah.

While stories of Ghanaian nurses leaving Ghana for greener pastures abroad are not new, the disclosure that more than 3,000 have left Ghana by March is alarming.

Currently, the nurse-to-patient ratio stands at 1 nurse to 839 patients, exceeding the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended nurse-to-patient population ratio of one nurse to 1,000 population. However, the GRNMA fears the situation could soon deteriorate.

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Ghanaian man who migrated to South Korea in search of greener pastures narrates story

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh has reported in a previous story that a Ghanaian man by the name of Samuel Oheme was granted an interview by DJ Nyaami on SVTV Africa where he opened up about how he migrated to South Korea.

The young man revealed that he got to move abroad thanks to a friend of his and so far he has observed that the least amount of monthly salary anyone takes in South Korea is $2,000 (Ghc13,997).

Recounting his journey, Samuel shared that he was advised by his friend to apply for a master's program in South Korea as that is one of the easiest ways to move to the country.

Source: YEN.com.gh