Nurses Strike: Implementing New CoS Will Have Serious Economic Impact- Health Minister
The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has objected to the immediate implementation of the approved Conditions of service for nurses and midwives, saying it would have serious economic consequences.
According to him, the conditions were not factored in the 2025 Budget Statement which was approved a few months ago by Parliament.
He stressed that its implementation will “dislocate” the national budget.
“Government wishes to stress its readiness to further engage with the view to implement the new conditions of service in a manner that does not dislocate the national budget,” he said at a presser a day after an unsuccessful meeting with the representatives of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA).
“We wish to draw attention to the fact that the conditions of service under reference are not captured in the 2025 budget and will completely throw the economy off gear if implemented immediately in the manner it currently exists.
“We are mindful of the serious economic consequences of unbudgeted expenditure and want to avoid the economic slippages that led to the hardship in the recent past.”
Akandoh said the government will persist in engaging with the nurses in order to achieve a mutually acceptable outcome.
Meanwhile, as part of efforts to mitigate the impact of the strike, the Minister announced that a comprehensive list of health facilities to complement facilities where nursing services are lacking will be published for patients to seek medical care.
He also appealed to retired nurses and midwives to volunteer their services for a brief period pending the resolution of the impasse.
The GRNMA laid down their tools on June 2 in dissatisfaction with plans by the government to defer the implementation.
Source: https://opemsuo.com/author/hajara-fuseini/
