Source: newsthemegh.com
Jasper Dzorkah, the National President of the Ghana Rotational Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), has expressed regret over the government’s debt to all nursing programs at the nation’s colleges.
He voiced his dissatisfaction with the government’s tardiness in disbursing the payment to trainees enrolled in school and completing their rotation during an interview on Citi News.
“Government is owing first years five months, second years 24 months, third years about 18 months. For those doing their service, the government owes them 12 months before they even started the rotation and rotation from July to today, so we are frustrated.”
On December 17, 2023, the Ghana Nurse-Midwife Trainees Association (GNMTA) threatened to stage a protest over unpaid arrears. Although the Ministry of Finance had granted financial clearance for two years’ worth of arrears, the trainees had only received payment for the previous two months.
Despite the government’s pledge, the group claimed in a press conference that all attempts to recover their owed allowances have failed.
“Since the release of our letter on November 25, 2023, where we beseeched the Ministry of Health to address the long-overdue payment of our outstanding allowances, we have only been met with empty promises and false assurances. Out of the two years’ worth of arrears and the seven months’ clearance received from the Ministry of Finance, we have merely received payment for two months. This stark disparity leaves us bewildered, undervalued, and profoundly wounded”, the statement said.
The presser went on to say that association members are impatiently waiting for their allowance to be paid by the ministry.
“Our reservoir of patience and tolerance has been exhausted. We demand immediate redress for this egregious injustice. The fate of nursing and midwifery in Ghana lies precariously in the balance, highlighting the indispensability of addressing this matter with the profound urgency and unwavering gravity it commands” the statement added.
The government and other stakeholders have been encouraged by the Ghana Nurse-Midwife Trainees Association (GNMTA) to make sure that the rights and welfare of midwives and trainee nurses are given top priority.
“We earnestly beseech the Ministry of Health and all relevant stakeholders to accord the welfare and rights of trainee nurses and midwives the utmost priority. Let us forge a healthcare system that exudes empathy, fairness, and respect for its nursing and midwifery professionals. Failure to do so not only undermines the pivotal roles we play but also tarnishes the esteemed reputation of our cherished profession.” the statement concluded.