The Graduate Unemployed Nurses and Midwives Association (GUNMA) has registered displeasure with the Ministry of Health for employing illegal means to assign jobs to its members.

The Graduate Unemployed Nurses and Midwives Association (GUNMA) threatened to continue with their protests until the government provides financial clearance to secure them permanent jobs.

“Any day, any time you go to the ministries, what they tell you is, go soon, it will come. We don’t know how soon this is coming. What is worse in the matter is that some of our colleagues are being posted underground. You ask them and they will tell you I had a colleague who took me GH¢5,000, GH¢6,000, GH¢7,000 to get me this posting.”
Atta Asante, General Secretary GUNMA

The Graduate Unemployed Nurses and Midwives Association (GUNMA) alleged that the Health Ministry often charges additional fees for posting to be done successfully. The health workers have threatened to continue with their protests until the government provides financial clearance to secure them permanent jobs.

The General Secretary of the Association, Atta Asante noted that the unemployment and unpaid allowances place a significant financial strain on the members. The lack of income can lead to financial instability, making it difficult for them to meet their basic needs, including housing, food, and healthcare. This financial stress can also lead to debt and further financial challenges.

The financial implications of unemployment and unpaid allowances contribute to workforce shortages in healthcare. As nurses and midwives seek better opportunities elsewhere, healthcare systems may face a shortage of qualified personnel.

This trend is exacerbated by the global shortage of healthcare workers, with many healthcare professionals migrating to countries with better working conditions and higher wages. This migration not only depletes the workforce in their home countries but also strains healthcare systems in the countries they leave, as they are replaced by less experienced or less skilled workers.

Doris Oduro, a member of the GUNMA stated, “Some of us are being ejected from our homes because we are not being able to pay our rent. Some of us are sick. Some of us have different financial burdens. We have done a lot of things, but nobody, nothing is coming out of it.”

The implications of unemployment and unpaid allowances for nurses and midwives are far-reaching, affecting not only the individuals directly but also the broader healthcare system and the economy as a whole. Addressing these issues requires comprehensive strategies that include improving working conditions, ensuring fair wages, and investing in the healthcare workforce to retain and attract qualified professionals.

Government Committed to Meeting the Demands

Unemployed nurses demonstration — Unemployed Nurses Demonstration

Public Relations Officer for the Ministry of Health, Isaac Offei Baah addressed the concerns raised by the Graduate Unemployed Nurses and Midwives Association (GUNMA) regarding unemployment and unpaid allowances.

In response to these grievances, the Public Relations Officer for the Ministry of Health, Isaac Offei Baah emphasized the government’s commitment to meeting the demands of health workers, including ensuring their recruitment and payment of allowances.

The Ministry of Health has assured unemployed nurses that measures have been taken to ensure their recruitment and that they will be paid their allowances in due course. This comes in response to a series of demonstrations organized by the rotational nurses, the midwifery association, and a group of unemployed nurses over unpaid allowances and unemployment concerns.

“Unfortunately, we have gotten to this level, but we are all aware that we cannot employ without clearance from the Ministry of Finance. That also doesn’t mean that we are not working to ensure that we get adequate clearance and clear all our nurses who are not employed.”
Isaac Offei Baah, Public Relations Officer, MoH

Mr. Baah mentioned that after receiving a list from the Nurses and Midwives Council (N&MC), it was forwarded to the Minister of Finance, and their leader has copies of evidence showing the Ministry of Health’s commitment to ensuring their recruitment and posting.