Unemployed nurses, midwives demonstrate in Accra
Hundreds of unemployed graduate nurses and midwives, including rotational nurses, yesterday embarked on demonstration in Accra to demand their immediate employment and postings.
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The protesters comprised the 2020, 2021 and 2022 batches of graduate nurses from various public universities and nursing training colleges in the country. At about 6:00a.m., the protesters had gathered at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital in Accra, and marched to the Ministry of Health, from where they proceeded to the State House and the Ministry of Finance.
They wielded placards, some of which read: “Service to the nation-slavery to the nation,” “2024, we go show Bawumia” and “The struggle is enough, we need our allowance.” There was heavy security presence at vantage points to ensure the protesters used the prescribed routes peacefully.
Petition
The leadership of the groups presented their petition to the Ministry of Health, Parliament and the Ministry of Finance. The MoH petition was received by its Public Relations Officer, Isaac Offei, and other senior officials of the ministry.
The Deputy Clerk of Parliament, Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, received the petition on behalf of Parliament, while at the Ministry of Finance, it was received by the Communications Directorate.
They all gave assurances that the concerns of the protesters would be channeled to management for the appropriate responses.
The protesters claimed that the Ministry of Finance had failed to provide financial clearance for them to be posted despite the successful completion of their Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) licensing exams.
In an interview, the president of the group, Haruna Ibrahim, said they had had series of engagements with the Ministry of Health and MoF over the delays in their employment, but that nothing positive had come out of those meetings.
He said the situation had plunged many of his counterparts into destitution, poverty and a state of hopelessness. “We are aware of some people who are giving financial clearance and postings to some of our counterparts who can afford between GHc5,000 and GH¢10,000.
“Immediately you pay, you get posted,” Mr Ibrahim claimed. The PRO of the MoH has, however, refuted the allegations.
Mr Ibrahim further called on the “Presidency to get the ministries of finance and health to ensure our postings are done anytime soon to alleviate the unbearable situation we currently face.”
He vowed that the protest would continue until their demands were met.
Commitment
The President of the Rotational Nurses and Midwives Association, Amebley Kwame Junior, said they had committed themselves to the betterment of the nation's health care system since their national service in July last year.
“For nine months, we diligently fulfilled our duties,” he said, adding that several attempts to seek clarification and resolution over the matter of their postings through written correspondence had not been fruitful.