Government appeals to retired nurses, midwives to volunteer services as nurses strike

The government on Monday appealed to public-spirited retired nurses and midwives to volunteer their services for a brief period pending the resolution of the ongoing industrial action by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA).

Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Health Minister, said while working round the clock to resolve the impasse, the Ministry had taken the steps to mitigate the suffering of Ghanaian patients unduly affected by the strike.

Addressing the press at the Presidency in Accra, he said the Ministry would, in the next few hours, publish a comprehensive list of facilities to complement places where nursing services were lacking and where patients could seek healthcare.

“We further express our deep appreciation to practicing nurses who have opted to remain at post to help suffering patients and urge others to show similar fellow-feeling and assist our ailing compatriots even as efforts are made to address their concerns,” he said.

Mr Akdadoh said the ongoing strike action by the GRNMA was borne out of discussions on the new Conditions of Service signed in May, 2024 and originally scheduled for implementation in July, 2024.

He said upon assuming office, he has, on behalf of the Government, engaged with the GRNMA on several occasions to explore the best possible avenue to approve and implement the new Conditions of Service.

While expressing regret over the current impasse, he stated that the government appreciated the invaluable contributions of Ghanaian nurses and midwives to the development of the health sector.

“The government remains committed to the needed engagements that will lead to the approval and implementation of the new Conditions of Service for nurses and midwives,” he said.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Finance and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission had been directed to, as a matter of urgency, lead the development of a roadmap to ensure smooth implementation of the process.

“I engaged the leadership of all nurses and midwives associations within the health sector on 30th May, 2025 to address their challenges and discuss the subsequent roadmap leading to the implementation of the new Conditions of Service,” he noted.

“Fortunately, the other associations supported my intervention with the exception of the GRNMA, which declined and proceeded to declare the strike on 2nd June 2025 despite the caution by the National Labour Commission (NLC).”

The NLC, on Thursday, June 5, summoned all stakeholders to an emergency meeting to address the matter, Mr Akandoh said, however, the GRNMA did not cooperate nor attend the meeting.

Consequently, the NLC was compelled to take legal steps to declare the strike illegal and called on the GRNMA to immediately call it off in line with the law.

On Monday, June 9, Mr Akandoh said he invited the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission to engage the GRNMA, and the Ministry of Finance on a roadmap for the successful implementation of the new Conditions of Service.

At that meeting, the FWSC once again, per the law, directed the GRNMA to call off the strike to allow negotiations to continue.

He reiterated the Government’s readiness to further engage towards implementing the Conditions of Service in a manner that would not dislocate the National Budget.

“We wish to draw attention to the fact that the conditions of service under reference are not captured in the 2025 Budget and will completely throw the economy off-gear if implemented immediately in the manner it currently exists,” he said.

“We are mindful of the serious economic consequences of unbudgeted expenditure and want to avoid the economic slippages that led to hardships in the recent past.”

Mr Akandoh reiterated the Government’s commitment to continuing to engage with the nurses to achieve a mutually acceptable outcome in the interest of the public for full services to be restored.

Mr Thomas Nyarko Ampem, the Deputy Finance Minister, said the Ministry was ready to support in resolving the industrial action, considering the critical role of the GRNMA to healthcare delivery.

“But the reality is that we have over 120,000 nurses and the implementation of the current condition of service that they are demanding will have serious consequences for the budget,” he said.

“In fact, if we fully implement it, we are going to add in excess of two billion cedis to the compensation budget.”

“We have all committed that in our resolve to reset the economy of this country, we must maintain a 1.5 per cent primary balance surplus every year in order to bring our debt to sustainable levels.”

Mr Ampem appealed to the leadership of the GRNMA to negotiate with the government to ensure a win?win situation, assuring the nurses to have faith in the current administration to give them a fair wage for their sacrifices.

Mr Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the Presidential Spokesman and Minister of State in-charge of Government Communications, said government’s doors were opened for further negotiations to reach an agreement that would foster an amicable resolution of the matter.

Source: GNA

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