The ongoing strike by nurses in public hospitals across Ghana is significantly affecting healthcare delivery, leading to patients being stranded and medical services being disrupted. In many health facilities, nurses have left their posts, leaving patients without care. In response, the Ministry of Health has issued a series of emergency directives designed to maintain essential healthcare services while the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) continues its industrial action.
In a statement released by Tony Goodman, spokesperson for the ministry, a high-level meeting took place on May 30, 2025, between the Ministry and major stakeholders in the nursing and midwifery sector. The meeting included representatives from the GRNMA, the Union of Professional Nurses and Midwives (UPNMG), the Ghana Registered Midwives Association (GRMA), the National Association of Registered Midwives (NARM-G), the Psychiatric Nurses Association of Ghana (PAPNG), and the Nurses and Midwives Educators Society.
At the meeting, the unions presented a unified demand for the implementation of a Collective Agreement signed in 2024, which they claim has not been honoured. Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh assured the stakeholders that their concerns would be addressed promptly. While most of the associations agreed to continue offering services, the GRNMA maintained its position to go ahead with the strike, prompting the Ministry to prepare for the disruption. In many hospitals, nurses have abandoned post, leaving patients tranded at the OPD
Ministry responds with contingency plans
In anticipation of the strike’s impact, the Ministry has instructed public health facilities to activate contingency plans. Key measures include:
- Hospital managers, especially Directors of Nursing Services and their Deputies, are required to be present at work throughout the strike period.
- Unit heads must ensure that maternity and emergency services remain operational in all hospitals.
- The Ambulance Service is to remain on standby across all districts to assist with emergency cases.
- Coordinating structures are to be set up to manage emergencies, ensuring a continuous link with ambulance services.
- Daily reports on service delivery from the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, CEO’s, and Medical Directors of Teaching Hospitals will be submitted to the Acting Chief Director of the Ministry.
- The Ministry will collaborate with quasi-government health facilities to handle the expected increase in patient numbers during the strike.
- Rotational nurses and nurses undergoing mandatory clinicals have been advised not to participate in the strike.
The Ministry emphasized that it is closely monitoring the situation to ensure that all necessary logistics and support systems are in place to mitigate the disruption caused by the industrial action.
While acknowledging the nurses and midwives who have chosen not to join the strike, the Ministry has reiterated its appeal to the GRNMA to reconsider its decision, highlighting that discussions are ongoing to resolve the outstanding issues.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
