Editorial: Significant disruption in healthcare delivery

Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has appealed to the nationwide strike by nurses and midwives, which is entering its second week, to engage as the conditions of service in question were not included in the 2025 national budget.

Implementing these demands immediately, could destabilize the economy and reverse recent fiscal gains. Although Mr Akandoh acknowledged the legitimacy of the concerns raised by members of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), he cautioned that the current financial demands cannot be met without serious consequences for the economy.

For his part, the Deputy Minister of Finance, Thomas Nyarko Ampem explained that the magnitude of the nurses’ demands for improved conditions of service poses a significant threat to the government’s fiscal consolidation efforts.

He noted that this figure could account for over 10% of the health sector’s entire annual budget or fund multiple crucial infrastructure projects. Nyarko Ampem underscored government’s overarching commitment to macroeconomic stability, particularly under the ongoing IMF Extended Credit Facility programme.

Ghana’s public debt-to-GDP ratio remains a concern, hovering around 75%, making stringent expenditure management paramount to avoid further debt distress.

The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association remains adamant on their demand for agreed-upon conditions of service this year. Government’s proposal to implement it in 2026 does not sit well with the Association.

A meeting between the striking nurses and the government on Monday did not yield any positive result. General Secretary of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), David Tekorang, firmly rejected government’s request to delay until 2026.

He said the union is ready to sit with the government, not for further negotiation but implementation, even if it’s gradual. The Conditions of Service agreement was reached and signed in May 2024, and implementation was due in July 2024.

Hospitals and clinics across the country have since been left operating with skeletal staff, causing significant disruption to healthcare delivery.

In the interim, Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh issued a heartfelt appeal to retired nurses and midwives to volunteer their services amid the ongoing nurses’ strike. Given the urgency of the situation, he appealed to public-spirited retired nurses and midwives to volunteer their services for a brief period pending the resolution of the impact.

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