Nurses Want Allowances Retained

A section of the participants
The President of the Ghana Registered Nurses Association (GRNA), Kwaku Asante-Krobea, has called on government to retain the allowances of trainee nurses and midwives in the country.

He mentioned that the already dire situation and conditions under which the trainee nurses are studying could be worsened if their allowances are not maintained.

‘We view this as a tragedy on the fortunes of our relationship with the government and the employer that has the potential for disharmony on the labour front,’ he said.

Mr Asante-Krobea made this appeal during the launch of the International Nurses’ Day and Nurses Week Celebration in Accra on the theme: ‘Nurses And Midwives: A Force For Change – Care Effective, Cost Effective’.

Kwaku Asante-Krobea
The International Nurses’ Day is set aside to celebrate and honour nurses and midwives’ dedication, commitment and devotion to duty and their contributions to the healthcare profession across nations.

The GRNA President said the day should remind nurses and midwives of their association with the profession, adding that their role as frontline health professionals imposed a huge responsibility on them more than any other care professional.

‘Let us remember the patient, knowing that our profession exists because there is the patient,’ he said.

Professor Richard Adanu, Dean, School of Public Health, Legon, delivering the keynote address said the world was now talking about sustainable development goals and universal health coverage and urged the nurses and midwives to ensure that the gains of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were sustained while tracking new challenges.

He, therefore, challenged the nurses to ensure that the type of care that is provided to the client is the best possible care in their circumstance.

‘Our delivery of care must be such that our clients are always happy to come back to us when the need arises,’ he said.

Professor Adanu reiterated the importance of being abreast with current practices in their area of practice and admonished nurses to take keen interest in supplementing practice with continuous active self-education.

The GRNA also gave awards to deserving nurses from all the regions at the event.

By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri