Accra, Feb. 14, GNA – The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association(GRNMA) has asked government to exclude newly recruited nurses from its directive of suspending all recruitments into the Public Service after December 7,2024.
The Association said if the directive affected its members, it would stand by them in solidarity by setting into motion a series of industrial actions.
These were contained in a press release signed by Mrs Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, President, and Dr David Tenkorang- Twum, Secretary, respectively of GRNMA and copied to the Ghana News Agency.
The GRNMA said it was in the national interest to keep the newly recruited nurses at post since nurses and midwives formed the majority of the nation’s workforce and “are the hub around which the the health system operates.’
The press release followed the directive issued by the office of the Chief of Staff of Jubilee House, dated February 10, 2025, referenced SCR/DA85/85/01/A, titled, ‘Revocation of Appointments and Recruitments Made After December 7, 2024.
The release said an emergency meeting of the National Executive Committee and National Council meeting were held on 13th February 2024 and the decision was to issue a Press Release on the matter immediately, however, it was withheld because of an emergency meeting convened on the same day, 13th February, 2025 under the auspices of the Minister of Health, Mr Kwabina Mintah Akandoh, to provide clarity on the directive with respect to nurses and midwives.
“According to the Minister, the Ministry of Health(MoH) was in the process of conducting investigations of all recruitments made after 7th December, 2024 to identify those who did not go through due process and that, it will also cover the recruitment of nurses and midwives.
He, however, indicated that, the outcome of the said investigation would be duly communicated in due course to the GRNMA.”
The release said “the largest employing agency, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in a circular dated 12th February, 2025 had also directed ALL DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS, GHS HQ and ALL REGIONAL DIRECTORS OF HEALTH SERVICE that, all new recruits who have not been placed on the payroll as at January, 2025 were to be suspended to allow for an assessment of the situation and comprehensive audit of the process leading to their engagement and that, they should take note and inform the affected individuals accordingly.’
According to the release, the circular of the GHS makes the Chief of Staff’s directive specific and obviously takes immediate effect. The leadership of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association therefore states as follows:
“All nurses and midwives recruited after 7th December 2024 are professionals duly licensed and qualified to deliver the much needed healthcare services to the good people of Ghana and deserve to practice their skill considering the years they had to wait to be recruited in the public service of Ghana. Moreover, the recruitment process which starts with the application for financial clearance from the Ministry of Finance by the Ministry of Health started in the middle of the year 2024 and culminated in the recruitment of the 2020 cohort of nurses and midwives who had completed their mandatory one year internship.
“Processes for enrollment on the payroll in some cases takes time and may have resulted in those
recruited not being placed on the payroll as at January 2025.
“In our view, if there is an investigation to be carried out, that process should be completed before the affected individualsare asked to go home and not SUSPENDED before the investigations are carried out.
“Therefore, the newly recruited nurses and midwives who have not been placed on the payroll as at 7th December, 2024 should be allowed to continue working until the said investigations are completed.
“We wish to caution the government that nurses and midwives form the majority of the health workforce and are the hub around which the health system operates.
“The directive if applied to the nursing and midwifery workforce will have dire consequences on health care delivery, considering the worsening nurse patient ratios and burn-out being experienced by nurses and midwives.
“More so, current emigration trends amongst Ghanaian nurses and midwives requires more nurses and midwives to be recruited to strengthen the nursing and midwifery workforce.
“It is of utmost importance that the government reconsiders the directive in the spirit of good faith and exempt nurses and midwives.
“Government should allow our colleagues recruited after December 7, 2024 to stay at post and work because their services are essential in all the health facilities they work.”
The Association advised all nurses and midwives to remain focused and wait for further directives from leadership ” as we continue to monitor unfolding events,” the release said.
GNA