Unemplyed Nurses threatens to demonstrate against Gov’t

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

The Association has therefore given government till the end of August 2018, to employ them and work on their financial clearance else face their wrath. This was contained in a press statement from the Association.

A portion of the statement reads;

“We are by this notice calling on the president of the Republic H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo to please, take keen interest in the employment of nurses and midwives and work within the shortest possible time to get us financially cleared by the end of August, 2018 to prevent us from going the extra mile as outlined which we pray it does not get to that.”

Earlier this year, the Minister of health; Hon Kweku Agyemang Manu reassured unemployed nurses and the general public of financial clearance being made ready by the middle of July. However, this is yet o be realised.

Read the full statement below:

THE TRUE STATE OF AN UNEMPLOYED NURSE AND MIDWIFE IN A QUEST TO SERVE MOTHER GHANA

The National Executive Board (NEB) of the Ghana Nurse – Midwife Trainees’ Association (GNMTA) have had series of stakeholder engagement and have equally made numerous follow-ups to the Ministry of Health to inquire about our financial clearance since the year 2017, until it resulted into peaceful street procession and series of picketing at both Ministry of health and Ministry of finance due to unfulfilled promises and chronic reassurances from prominent personalities occupying key positions in government.

The leadership were engaged by the office of the Vice President and in attendance at the meeting were all the relevant stakeholders within the health sector.

The leadership of GNMTA were assured of financial clearance since the government has budgeted to recruit over twenty-seven thousand (27,000) nurses and midwives as part of the 2018 budget.

Earlier this year, the Minister of health; Hon Kweku Agyemang Manu speaking on local based Radio stations in Accra (Joy Fm 99.7Mhz) and (Adom Fm 106.3Mhz) on 25th and 27th of June,2018 respectively, reassured unemployed nurses and the general public of financial clearance being made ready by middle of July which gave all trainees and unemployed nurses some positive hope of certainty.

As things stand now, we are in August 20th and nothing credible and tangible has happened and all efforts to reach the Minister of health to know the status quo of the promised financial clearance has proven futile living unemployed nurses and midwives in a state of limbo with all hopes of being employed this year fast vanishing into the thin air.

Below are some mind bugling questions which need answers from the appropriate stakeholders responsible for the employment of nurses and midwives.

What at all is preventing the government of the day from releasing financial clearance for the employment of these nurses and midwives if actually they have been budgeted for?

Will these nurses and midwives be employed again? when we have gone beyond the window period for the release of financial clearance for the employment of nurses and midwives considering the Ministry of Health (MOH) calendar of recruitment which we know to be February – March for auxiliary nurses and June – July for diploma nurses and midwives?

If eight (8) 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?

Is the government, in reality, having plans for nurses and midwives in this country?

With the greatest of respect, is the President of the Republic saying he has plucked cotton balls deep into his ears that he has not heard the cry and wailing of these unemployed nurses and midwives over two years running? who in their quest for employment got beaten many times by the Ghana police service right in front of the Ministry of health?

Mr President, are you aware that you need nurses and midwives to aid Ghana to attain the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and your vision for Ghana beyond aid?

Mr President, have you suddenly forgotten that you promised trainee nurses and midwives decent jobs after school which is fast becoming a mirage after your two years in office?

Mr President, do you not know that these nurses and midwives wasting away at home unemployed after state subventions have been used to train them and allowed to languish at home is a waste of state resources?

These and many more are the unanswered questions lingering in the minds of these unemployed nurses and midwives.

In order, to avoid the unforeseen, pragmatic steps should quickly be put in place to employ the over twenty-seven thousand (27,000) unemployed graduate nurses and midwives within the shortest possible time to avoid the numbers from doubling, tripling and quadrupling.

Failure of the President of the Republic and Ministry of Health to ensure nurses and midwives are cleared financially before the end of August 2018.

Nurses and midwives would have no option than to go by the roadmap below and advice themselves as nurses and midwives in this country when the right time comes.

GNMTA’S ROADMAP TO SEEKING FINANCIAL CLEARANCE

we shall demonstrate concurrently in all six (6) regional capitals on the 5th of September, 2018 to deliver our petition to the various regional ministers for onward submission to the Jubilee house for the attention of H.E NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFFO ADDO for immediate response.

The six regions comprise of;

(1) Upper West Region in Wa.

(2) Upper East Region in Bolgatanga.

(3) Northern Region in Tamale.

(4) Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Regions in Kumasi.

(5) Western and Central Regions in Cape coast.

(6) Eastern and Volta Regions in Ho.

We believe Ghana is not Accra and we have the masses out there in the other regions who are suffering but their voices are not heard and the government of the day seems to turn death ears to their humble plea for employment.

As part of this demonstrations we are calling on our parents, trainee nurses and midwives, rotation nurses, all graduate unemployed nurses and midwives, GRNMA national, regional and district executives, our senior colleagues (staff nurses and midwives) sympathizers, opinion leaders and members of the general public to join us in this massive demonstration to register our displeasure as unemployed nurses and midwives to the government due to the manner in which they have pitifully handled the employment issues of graduate nurses and midwives which in the end will have adverse effect on society at large.

Secondly, we shall embark on what we call, “One million walk” through the principal streets of the Nations capital Accra to the Jubilee house. The group will come out with this one million walk to inform the government that, since they are not ready to post us we shall definitely advise ourselves when the right time comes because the false pretence has gotten to its peak and we can no longer bear it.

This one million walk will record the attendance of prominent personalities of this country who have seen the importance of nurses in health care delivery and hence the need for them to solidarize with the nursing fraternity in these trying moments.

Parents and guardians from all walks of life who stand with nurses and midwives and appreciate the impact of nursing and midwifery in total health care delivery of this nation and therefore, believe that, if nurses cannot be recruited into the various health facilities then, their lives cannot be trusted into the hands of this government, hence the need to advice themselves accordingly.

Let’s remind ourselves of the old adage which says “if the frog in front falls in a pit, others behind take caution”

We, therefore, urge all nurses and midwives whether employed, unemployed or trainees to join us fight this noble course to save the dignity and pride of the noble profession because there is a clear-cut difference between deception and chronic reassurance which are both unpalatable. It is time we say no to injustice.

We are by this notice calling on the president of the Republic H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo to please, take keen interest in the employment of nurses and midwives and work within the shortest possible time to get us financially cleared by the end of August, 2018 to prevent us from going the extra mile as outlined which we pray it does not get to that.

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.

GNMTA will continue to emancipate her members through dialogue and philosophy of non-violence.

Signed by:

BATIAH SEMI-ULAH SANTI

GNMTA NATIONAL PRESIDENT

AKUGRI GADAFI AVOKBIL

GNMTA NATIONAL PRO