The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) remains on strike after a closed-door meeting with the Ministry of Health ended without a resolution.
The impasse stems from the government’s proposal to delay the implementation of new conditions of service for nurses and midwives until 2026 a proposal the GRNMA has firmly rejected.
GRNMA Vice President, Samuel Alagkora Akologo, expressed disappointment following the meeting, citing the government’s claim of budgetary constraints.
According to him, the government’s proposal was an attempt to reset the conditions of service calendar in order to avoid paying arrears.
“We were told there was no budget provision for our demands. These conditions of service were submitted in January, and we expected them to be factored into this year’s budget,” he said.
“They wanted to set the conditions of service calendar so that it looks like we’ve just renegotiated so the issue of arrears won’t arise. This is not fair,” he added.
The GRNMA’s National Council is expected to review the proposal and determine the next course of action.
Meanwhile, public health facilities across the country continue to struggle with the absence of nurses and midwives, leaving patients underserved.
Chairman of Parliament’s Health Committee, Dr. Mark Kurt Nawaane, has offered the committee’s support to help resolve the crisis. While he acknowledged the critical role of nurses in Ghana’s healthcare system, he also noted that the GRNMA did not exhaust all avenues of negotiation before embarking on the strike.
