The National President of the Ghana Rotational Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), Jasper Dzorkah, has lamented that, the government is owing all batches of nursing trainees in various colleges across the country.
During an interview on Citi News, he expressed his disappointment over governments delay in paying the allowance of trainees in school and those doing their rotation.
“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.”
The Ghana Nurse-Midwife Trainees Association (GNMTA) on December 17,2023 threatened to protest over unpaid arrears despite financial clearance from the Ministry of Finance for two years arrears, trainees have only received payment for two months.
The association in a presser, stated that all effort to retrieve their unpaid allowances has been futile despite the government’s assurance.
“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 release stated.
The presser further noted that members of the association have lost patience in waiting on the ministry to pay their allowance.
“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 Ghana Nurse-Midwife Trainees Association (GNMTA) urged government and stakeholders to ensure that the welfare and right of trainee nurses and midwives are their utmost 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.”
