By Godfred Aaneamenga Polkuu
Pusu-Namongo (U/E), June 9, GNA – Nurses and midwives in the Upper East Region are seeking improved infrastructure, fair remuneration, specialized training and greater representation in health policy decisions to enable them deliver quality healthcare services.
These concerns were highlighted during an address delivered at a regional gathering to mark the International Nurses Day under the theme, “Our Nurses, Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives.”
Dr Michael Wombeogo, the Dean of the Faculty of Health and Allied Sciences at the Regentropfen University College at Kansoe Namoo in the Bongo District, in an address as Keynote Speaker, described nurses and midwives as the foundation of Ghana’s healthcare system.
He emphasized the need for addressing persistent challenges affecting service delivery in the region.
“This is a call, which signifies readiness, a cry for support and a mandate to perform, a definition of the reality of the Ghanaian nurse,” he said.
Dr Wombeogo noted that the Upper East Region continued to face a significant shortage of healthcare personnel despite recent allocations of nurses and midwives, creating gaps in maternal, newborn and child healthcare services.
He said nurses in the region required modern maternity wards, reliable electricity, clean water systems and sanitation facilities to improve healthcare outcomes.
“Improved infrastructure, fair remuneration and incentives, specialized training, leadership opportunities and safe working conditions are what nurses and midwives in the Upper East Region want,” the keynote speaker noted.
He highlighted the difficulties faced by nurses working in conflict-prone and underserved communities such as Bawku and Nalerigu, where health workers contend with high workloads, burnout and security concerns.
The Dean praised nurses and midwives for their resilience and dedication, describing them as trusted professionals who continued to provide essential healthcare services despite challenging circumstances.
“Nurses are often the first point of contact in rural communities, wielding social power through proximity and trust,” Dr Wombeogo said.
He further called for deliberate efforts to promote women into leadership positions within the health sector, noting that although women constituted the majority of the nursing workforce, they remain underrepresented in decision-making roles.
He urged government and stakeholders to expand specialized training in areas such as postpartum hemorrhage management, pregnancy-induced hypertension and neonatal care to reduce maternal and infant mortality.
Dr Wombeogo, who is also the Executive Director of the Participatory Action for Rural Development Alternatives (PARDA), a Non-Governmental Organization, called for greater public appreciation of nurses and midwives and emphasized their role as nation-builders.
“When nurses are empowered, lives are saved, communities are strengthened, and futures are secured,” Dr Wombeogo said.
Dr Braimah Baba Abubakari, the Upper East Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in a speech read on his behalf, urged nurses to renew their commitment to professional development, empathy, and clinical excellence in response to rising public expectations.
He stressed that true empowerment within the nursing profession was rooted in continuous learning, self-improvement, and unwavering adherence to professional ethics.
According to him, the call for greater dedication comes at a critical time, as the expansion of free healthcare services across the country continued to raise public expectations of healthcare professionals.
“In an era of free and expanded healthcare, the public’s expectations of us will be higher than ever,” Dr Abubakari stated.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Godfred Aaneamenga Polkuu
Email: [email protected]