Nurses, Midwives Threaten ‘Solidarity Strike’ Next Monday

Nurses and midwives across the country have threatened to lay down their tools next week, if government fails to take frantic steps to find postings for unemployed graduate nurses and midwives.

In a press statement by the Coalition of Concerned Nurses and Midwives (CCNM), government has turned a blind eye to the grievances of these unemployed health professionals despite their numerous picketing and demonstrations.

“Some of these nurses and midwives who are professionally trained to save lives have now resorted to kayayoo [head potter] and security work [watchman], whiles patients are dying day-in and day-out due to lack of staffs in our hospitals,” the statement read.

The statement, signed by its President, Henry Asante, also urged government to put newly constructed health facilities to use to bring down the number of unemployed nurses and midwives across the country.

Unemployed nurses and midwives from various institutions in the country have been left jobless for over two years with government doing little about their plight.

Though the Health Ministry had announced that it had granted financial clearance for over 8,000 trainee nurses, the unemployed health personnel have denied that fact.

The National Executive Board (NEB) of the Ghana Nurse – Midwife Trainees’ Association (GNMTA) in August also threatened to embark on what they call a “One million walk”, in protest of government’s failure to employ them.

According to them, the hope of securing a livelihood for themselves has been dashed away adding that, “If eight months into the year, the government is unable to employ a single nurse, how convincing is it that over twenty-seven thousand (27,000) nurses and midwives will be employed within this four (4) remaining months of 2018?”

The GNMTA therefore called on the President to address their concerns with urgency.

“We believe in you as the first gentleman of the land who has the ability to solve this problem within the twinkle of an eye and would not like to see your children go through hell in the quest for employment once this note gets to your attention.” They had said.

If government fails to meet the deadline, the GNMTA say they would demonstrate concurrently in six regional capitals on September 5 to deliver their petitions to the various regional ministers for onwards submission to the President.

By: Grace Ablewor Sogbey/ [email protected]