The Ministry of Health has appealed to retired nurses and midwives to volunteer their services in the wake of the ongoing nationwide strike by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA).
The GRNMA has maintained its decision to reject the government’s proposal to defer the implementation of their revised conditions of service to 2026.
The Association argues that the government is treating them unfairly compared to other unions whose demands have been honoured.
An emergency meeting on Monday, June 9, involving officials from the Ministry of Health, GRNMA leadership, and other stakeholders, failed to reach a resolution, prolonging the industrial action and worsening conditions at healthcare facilities across the country.
Addressing the press on Tuesday, June 10, Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh acknowledged the pressure the strike is placing on the health system.
He outlined interim measures the government is taking including calling on retired nurses and midwives to volunteer.
“While working round the clock to resolve the impasse, the Ministry of Health has taken the following steps to mitigate the suffering of Ghanaian patients unduly affected by the strike. 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.”
Meanwhile, the GRNMA has not yet indicated when it will call off the strike, leaving uncertainty in the country’s healthcare delivery system as talks with the government remain stalled.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Hamdia Mohammed
