GRNMA Urges Government To Allocate 5% Of Ghana's Oil Revenue To Health Sector

• The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association has urged the government to allocate 5% of the country's oil revenue to the health sector
• It said the money would be able to address the dire challenges the country's health sector is plagued with
• The GRNMA has also urged the government to maintain the nurses' training allowance as it compensates them for their significant contributions to hospitals

The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has called on the government to allocate five per cent of the country’s oil revenue to the health sector.

According to the President of the Association, Dr Tenkorang Twum, the investment would significantly benefit the country's ailing health sector by addressing its infrastructural challenges.

He also stated that it would address gaps in disease management and personnel retention.

He noted that the country risks a major health crisis without the necessary funding for the sector as the current situation is already very dire.

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In an interview on JoyNews, Dr Tenkorang Twum said the government needs to make bold decisions to prevent further rot in the health sector.

He also urged the government to maintain the nursing training allowance.

The nursing training allowance and the teacher training allowance have been the subject of several contentions about whether or not they should be maintained in the future.

Some experts have suggested that allowances be cancelled and students be placed on the student loan programme.

However, Dr Twum says a study has shown that allowances are a form of compensation for student nurses who handle about 40% of nurses' workload in the hospital.

He explained that student nurses would have to offer free labour at the hospitals without these allowances, which is unfair.

Make nursing training degree-based only - GRNMA

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Earlier, the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association called for the cancellation of certificate and diploma nursing programmes to elevate nursing training and education in the country.

The GMA proposes replacing all certificate and diploma courses with degree courses to ensure a highly skilled and professional nursing workforce.

Dr Tenkorang Twum argued that the current system is bizarre and does not adequately address the challenges in the country’s healthcare sector.

He noted that having three different entry levels into the nursing and midwifery profession was perplexing.

He said the situation has left the health sector with an overwhelming percentage of auxiliary nurses—approximately 60% of the workforce.

He believes the situation must be reversed so that degree-prepared nurses make up the majority.

Trainee nurses say allowances not enough

YEN.com.gh reported that the Coalition of Concerned Nurses and Midwives Trainees had raised more concerns about allowances owed to them.

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Though GH¢177 million was released to settle the trainees, the group said more money is needed.

Robert Agbeti, one of the group's conveners, noted to YEN.com.gh that estimates may be lower than stated

Source: YEN.com.gh