GRNMA bemoans challenges in health sector
Inadequate logistics, essential medications and vaccines have been identified as some of the challenges affecting quality healthcare delivery in the country.
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Others include poor infrastructure, obsolete equipment, unsatisfactory conditions of service and the lack of accommodation in some areas, the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has said.
The President of the association, Perpetual Ofori Ampofo, was speaking at their 16th quadrennial national delegates’ congress in Accra yesterday.
The five-day conference is on the theme: "Investing in nursing and midwifery: A strategic response to the right to health."
Situation
The president said those challenges were the reasons for health disparities in the country, including access, which she said deprived people of their basic human right to quality health care.
"Indeed, we seem to be far away from changing this narrative, and it is a source of worry as many practitioners are migrating to high income countries," she said.
Mrs Ofori-Ampofo said while it was clear that the country might not achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal Three, by 2030, the government must not relent in creating a more robust and resilient healthcare system with well-motivated nurses and midwives, who are the largest health workforce and critical players in quality healthcare delivery.
"It came as a surprise when the restoration of vehicle import duty waiver for all healthcare professionals, instituted by the Kufour administration and scrapped by the Mahama administration, only considered doctors," she said.
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The president described the decision as unacceptable and unfair and, therefore, entreated the government to restore the waiver.
Commendation
The Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, whose speech was read on his behalf by the Chief Director of the ministry, Alhaji Hafiz Adam, commended the association for their hard work in spite of the challenges in the sector.
He pledged the ministry’s resolve to ensure better working conditions for all healthcare workers in the country.
The Country Representative of the WHO, Prof. Francis Kasolo, said while Africa only had three per cent of global health workforce, including 30 per cent of trained nurses and midwives employed, it was saddled with 75 per cent of the global disease burden.
He said investment in nursing and midwifery was critical to health improvements.
Prof. Kasolo, therefore, urged the government and other stakeholders to address the concerns of members of the GRNMA to help improve health outcomes in the country.
“For example, there is the issue of migration and huge unemployment of qualified nurses.
I would like to say thank you for the way you have been delivering despite the many challenges, serving in remote areas,” he said.
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