By Godfred Aaneamenga Polkuu, GNA
Bolgatanga, June 10, GNA – Mr Apandago Mahamadu Musah, the President of the Union of Professional Nurses and Midwives Ghana (UPNMG) in the Upper East Region, has called for a national conversation on the welfare and protection of nurses and midwives.
He argued that healthcare workers deserved more comprehensive support systems beyond funeral assistance and colleague-led fundraising efforts.
In a statement copied the GNA titled “Nurses and Midwives Deserve More Than Caskets: A Call for a National Conversation”, Mr Musah questioned what he described as the inadequate institutional support available to healthcare professionals when they face serious illness, disability, or death while serving the nation.
“Why does it often appear that when nurses and midwives are sick, incapacitated, or die in the line of duty, the burden of support falls largely on labour unions, colleagues, and emergency fundraising efforts?” he asked.
He further questioned the role of the Ghana Health Service in safeguarding the welfare of healthcare workers, saying, “What then is the role of the Ghana Health Service in protecting and supporting the very professionals upon whom the healthcare system depends?”
According to Mr Musah, nurses and midwives continued to work under challenging conditions, including staff shortages, long working hours, occupational hazards, and emotional stress, yet many felt neglected when they required support.
“The era of ‘silver collection’ as the primary means of supporting sick healthcare workers and bereaved families must come to an end.
“While such contributions reflect solidarity and compassion among colleagues, they should not substitute for a comprehensive institutional welfare system,” he stated in the statement.
The UPNMG Regional President stressed that healthcare workers diagnosed with critical illnesses, injured in the course of duty, permanently disabled, or those who lost their lives while serving the country deserved structured welfare support.
“Their families deserve more than sympathy and funeral assistance. They deserve structured support mechanisms that acknowledge the sacrifices made by their loved ones,” he said.
Mr Musah also expressed concern over what he described as the unequal treatment of nurses and midwives in the public domain.
He noted that healthcare workers were often subjected to intense criticism and media scrutiny when allegations of medical negligence arose, but received little recognition or advocacy when they faced workplace challenges or suffered occupational injuries.
“A healthcare system must not only demand accountability from its workforce; it must also demonstrate responsibility towards that workforce,” he said.
He further argued that institutional recognition for healthcare workers should extend beyond the provision of caskets during funerals, adding that support mechanisms should include occupational health protection, critical illness assistance, mental health services, legal protection, death and survivor benefits, and comprehensive welfare schemes.
Mr Musah called on the Ghana Health Service, policymakers, professional associations, labour unions, and other stakeholders to engage in a sustained national dialogue on healthcare worker welfare.
“The time has come for a deliberate and sustained national conversation on how Ghana values, protects, and supports its nurses and midwives,” he stated.
He emphasized the critical role nurses and midwives played in Ghana’s healthcare system and the need for the nation to reciprocate their service with meaningful support.
“A nation that relies on nurses and midwives to care for its people must also be prepared to care for them. Their lives matter. Their health matters. Their families matter. Their sacrifices deserve recognition not only in death but throughout their lives and careers,” he said.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Godfred Aaneamenga Polkuu
Email: [email protected]