The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has issued a strong warning to the government, vowing to embark on a nationwide strike if plans to dismiss over 5,000 newly recruited nurses and midwives are not halted.

 

The associations president, Perpetual Ofori Ampofo, made this declaration in an exclusive interview with 3news labour affairs correspondent, Daniel Opoku, on February 14 in Accra. She described the governments directive as a direct attack on healthcare delivery and vowed that her members would not sit idly by while their colleagues are unfairly sent home.

 

The controversy stems from a directive issued by the Chief of Staff, instructing state institutions to revoke the appointments of employees recruited after the December 7, 2024, elections if their names were not on the Controller and Accountant-Generals payroll as of January 2025. This order has triggered widespread concerns, particularly among health professionals, who fear it could cripple the already overstretched healthcare system.

 

 

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According to Mrs. Ampofo, affected nurses and midwives belong to the 2020 and 2021 training batches, and their dismissal would create a critical manpower shortage in health facilities across the country.

 

“There is a lot of tension in our fraternity. If they go ahead with this, we will have no choice but to stand in solidarity with our colleagues. And solidarity means that if you ask them to stay at home, we will all stay at home,” she warned.

 

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has further inflamed tensions by instructing heads of institutions to begin implementing the dismissals before investigations into their recruitment are even conducted. Mrs. Ampofo condemned this move as unfair and unjustified, stressing that the government should not sacrifice skilled healthcare professionals when hospitals are already struggling with staff shortages, burnout, and increasing patient loads.

 

“We are dealing with a healthcare system already under immense pressure. Units and departments are not meeting the ideal nurse-to-patient ratios. On top of that, we are losing professionals to high-income countries. Now, if we have successfully recruited nurses and midwives to bridge the gap, why suspend them? Why not investigate while they continue working?” she questioned.

 

Mrs. Ampofo revealed that the GRNMA leadership met with the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, on February 13, where concerns were raised. However, there was no indication that the dismissals would proceed—making the latest government action both shocking and unacceptable.

 

 

The association has, therefore, called on the Minister of Health to immediately intervene and reverse the decision before it escalates into a full-blown crisis.

 

“We need clarity and fairness. We cannot allow this to happen,” she insisted.

 

As tensions mount, the government faces a tough choice—either reconsider its stance or risk a nationwide strike that could cripple healthcare services.