By Eunice Hilda A. Mensah
Accra, June 09, GNA-Some Nurses and Midwives have expressed anger and worry over reports that the President of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has travelled during the period of industrial action by members.
A Midwife at a general hospital in Accra, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the Ghana News Agency that they did not understand why at a critical moment like this, the President of the Association could travel if reports were true, to make it impossible for government to settle matters amicably with members.
“As for the conditions of service, they are very important because we deal directly with all kinds of ailments, which puts us at risk, yet we pay for everything including paracetamol when we fall sick.
However some of the patients go to claim for refund at their work places with receipts when they access medical care. But for the renewal of pin demanded from the government, I disagree with it. We are all salaried workers. So can’t we use just GHS 71 to renew our pins annually?
“Right now, as I’m home, it’s good because I’m resting but the lives of patients matter the most. There are a lot of pregnant women whose time is almost due. Now where do we expect them to go to? Can all of them access healthcare at the Military and Police hospitals? Do they even have adequate facilities, equipment and personnel to attend to them?
“The Minister struggling to locate you to sit with you and discuss issues about our strike because reports say you’ve travelled at this critical time means you truly giving people the perception that you are politicising your position and not for the welfare of nurses and Midwives and our patients,” she said.
The Midwife said they held focus antenatal or one-Midwife to one-client antenatal for expectant mothers right from conception to delivery , which made the clients familiar with their individual Midwives, therefore the need for a sudden change of a Midwife would not be helpful to the expectant mother.
A General Nurse in a Regional Hospital said it was unfortunate that nurses had to seek referral of babies in the neonatal and intensive care units because all staff were on strike.
“I went to do some rounds yesterday at the hospital and it was disheartening to see just one Physician Assistant at the emergency unit alone, and not knowing what to do, or where to even start from. He was just overwhelmed and confused apparently,” she noted.
She said the rotation or national service nurses and Midwives were also not allowed to work, because they were under the supervision of their superiors.
She called on the President to avail herself and the rest of the leadership to settle the matter amicably as soon as possible to safeguard the lives of persons that needed healthcare.
Mr Mark Kurt Nawaane, Chairman, Parliamentary select Committee on Health, in a broadcast interview, said some of the conditions of service demanded were out of order and should be relooked at.
“Like the renewal of pin, the driver of the President renews his license himself. Please let’s deal with the most important issues,” he added.
Mr Abraham Koomson, the Executive Secretary, Ghana Federation of Labour, expressed worry about the strike situation, saying he did not understand the actions of the GRNMA President, who in some months ago declined to go on strike over the effects of galamsey operations on new borns.
He asked the Association to reconsider their decision for the betterment of all.
GNA
Edited by George-Ramsey Benamba