Political scientist Dr. Kwame Asah-Asante has described the government’s response to the ongoing strike by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) as “insulting and unfortunate.”
Speaking on Morning Starr with Naa Dedei Tettey on Thursday, June 12, Dr. Asah-Asante criticised the government’s posture, stating that the exclusion of nurses’ concerns from the budget reflects a lack of prioritisation.
“”I must say that I sympathize with government that we are in this difficult situation and we all want to urge the nurses to sit with government to find solutions to this problem. Because any time health issues come to a head like this, we are talking about lives, which are at stake. And even if you lose one life, it’s bad enough for such a system,” he said.
He continued, “That said, I must say that the government did not do well with the nurses. The government failed to listen to them, failed to also make their issue a priority, and for me, that is what’s unfortunate. And strictly speaking, the government pusher and action is nothing but very insulting to the nurses, to say the least. Budget, you and I know, when you are preparing, things that matter, things that are of importance are those that find expression in the budget. So is it a case that the nurses’ issue was not important to them? Obviously, by this action, it tells me that it was not important to government and that’s unfortunate.”
Dr. Asah-Asante further questioned the fairness of the government’s actions, citing planned payments for ex-gratia and allowances for Article 71 officeholders and other sectors.
“Ask government, ex-gratia, are they going to pay this year? Article 71 holders, their entitlement, are they going to pay? If the answer is yes, why not also the nurses? Are you not paying book allowances also for other scholars in other universities? Why not nurses too? That’s unfair, it’s discriminatory and this is something that undermines the spirit this constitution and we should shy away from that. I am mincing words at all, it’s unfortunate,” he stressed.
His comments follow a nationwide industrial action by GRNMA members over the government’s delay in implementing their 2024 collective agreement.
The strike, which began on June 2, has significantly disrupted healthcare services across the country, prompting reactions from Parliament, the National Labour Commission (NLC), and civil society organisations.
The government, however, has urged the striking health workers to exercise patience until the 2026 budget, claiming their demands were not captured in the 2025 budget.
The GRNMA is expected to announce its next line of action following a National Council meeting, after holding closed-door talks with Parliament’s Health Committee and other stakeholders on Thursday, June 12.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Hamdia Mohammed
