A group of over 7,000 nurses and midwives working in public health facilities across Ghana has mounted a protest, demanding the prompt payment of eight months’ salary arrears.
The health professionals, who have been without salary since January of this year, say they are experiencing serious financial difficulties.
The Coalition of Unpaid Nurses and Midwives staged a demonstration today to expose the awful working conditions.
According to the coalition, the government has failed to meet its financial obligations despite providing financial clearance, which is a necessary step in authorising their wages.
In an interview, the coalition’s Convener, Stephen Kwadwo Takyiah, described the emotional toll of the crisis on health personnel.
He added that they are “emotionally drained” from continuing to labour with no assurances of receiving payment anytime near.
This emotional and financial burden, the coalition claims, has driven them into a “economic quagmire” in which they are struggling to afford basic demands such as rent and transit.
The demonstration highlights a long-standing issue in the public sector, in which newly hired workers frequently face lengthy delays in getting their salary.
These delays jeopardise the personal well-being of nurses and midwives, whose services are crucial to the country’s healthcare delivery. They may also have an impact on the quality of treatment delivered to patients.
The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance have yet to publish a public statement addressing the protest or establish a schedule for the payment of salary arrears.
The coalition has vowed to continue its push for payment, stating that its hard work should be rewarded with timely and consistent reimbursement.