The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has criticised the Ministry of Health’s announcement that 8,000 newly recruited nurses will commence work in July, labelling the figure grossly inadequate.
Speaking on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, Philimon Gyapong, the association’s Assistant National Public Relations Officer, expressed deep disappointment with the quota.
He revealed that more than 17,000 nursing and midwifery graduates — including the entire 2021 cohort — remain unemployed.
Mr Gyapong argued that recruiting 8,000 personnel fails to address the systemic backlog. He warned that prolonged delays in clearing the remaining graduates pose a significant threat to patient care.
“If the government does not act decisively, these graduates will lose the clinical skills and professional edge they acquired during training before they ever secure employment,” he said.
Turning to the operational crisis at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), which led to a temporary 24-hour closure of its emergency unit, Mr Gyapong stated the facility is under severe, unsustainable strain.
He noted that unlike the Greater Accra Region, where emergency referrals are distributed across multiple facilities, KATH bears the sole burden for the Ashanti Region.
To address this challenge, the GRNMA is urging the government to expedite the completion of a new regional hospital currently under construction, which would significantly reduce the caseload on KATH.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
