Government Makes Appeal to Striking Nurses, Warns of Economic Toll of Meeting Demands

• The government has admitted that it did not factor in the agreed conditions of service into the 2025 Budget
• The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, urged the striking nurses to reconsider the protest
• The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association has been on a nationwide strike since June 3

The government has appealed to striking nurses to return to work, saying it has not factored in the conditions of service into the 2025 Budget.

Addressing the press, the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, said the government was willing to engage further on the matter.

Akandoh warned that implementing the demands of the health workers could destabilise the economy.

At the same press conference, Deputy Minister of Finance, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, said meeting the nurses' demands could add over GH¢2 billion to the national compensation budget.

"We have all committed that in our resolve to reset the economy of this country, we must maintain a 1.5% primary balance surplus every year in order to bring our debt levels to sustainable levels."

During the address, Akandoh acknowledged the concerns raised by members of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) but cautioned that the current financial demands could not be met without serious consequences for the economy.

In a statement to YEN.com.gh, the union said it would remain steadfast in its demands, despite the government's posturing.

"We need the Collective Agreement covering all nurses and midwives in Ghana to be approved and implemented. Nothing more, nothing less."

As the nurses’ strike enters its second week, the situation has placed extraordinary pressure on the healthcare system, with patients left unattended. There are reports that the strike has directly led to fatalities.

“Government wishes to stress its readiness to further engage with the view to implementing the conditions of service in a manner that does not dislocate the national economy.

“We are mindful of the economic consequences of unbudgeted expenditure and want to avoid the economic slippages that led to instability in the recent past,” Akandoh added.

The strike, which began on June 3, was declared by the GRNMA and its allied associations after months of unsuccessful negotiations with the government over improved conditions of service.

These include terms for allowances, risk benefits, and rural posting support. The conditions of service in question were reached and signed in May 2024. Implementation was due in July 2024.

However, a section of the nurses sued to halt the process because they claimed what was signed was not adequate and that they were not consulted.

The court process was finally resolved in January this year, during the transition from the old to the new government.

According to the GRNMA, it has held several meetings with the government, and met with the Health Minister ahead of the budget presentation in March, who gave full assurance that this would be settled in the budget.

Hospitals and clinics across the country have since been left operating with skeletal staff, causing significant disruption to healthcare delivery.

Emergency services have been prioritised, but many patients in public hospitals have reported delays or outright cancellation of care.

Government calls on retired nurses to volunteer

YEN.com.gh reported that Akandoh appealed to retired nurses and midwives to volunteer their services during the ongoing strike.

The Ghana Registered Nurses' and Midwives' Association (GRNMA) indefinite strike has grounded operations in health facilities.

Akandoh commended nurses who remained on duty and urged others to return to work while efforts to resolve the strike continue.

Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh