General News of Thursday, 31 May 2018
Source: citinewsroom.com
2018-05-31
Government restored allowances of GHc400 for trainee nurses in 2017
The Ministry of Health is yet to pay the allowances of trainee nurses for April and May, 2018.
In a letter denying claims that it has not paid allowances since the restoration of the trainee allowances in October 2017, the government said it has paid over 70 training institutions since September 2017.
The letter, signed by the Public relations officer of the Health Ministry, Robert Cudjoe said health training institutions have been paid a total of over GHc 140 million between September 2017 and March 2018.
It further indicated that it is in the process of paying the April and May allowances.
Trainee nurses were complaining about the non-payment of the allowance in January 2018.
But they began receiving their allowances for November and December 2017 after assurances before that month ended.
The Ghana Nurses and Midwives Trainees Association, however, said the delays in the payment must end.
The issue of allowance for trainee nurses became a major campaign point in the 2016 elections after the New Patriotic Party promised to restore the payments which were scrapped by the Mahama government.
Joyous trainee nurses during the ceremony restoring the allowances in October 2017
The government restored the allowances of GHc400, effective September 2017 with an elaborate ceremony to the joy of the trainee nurses who had complained about the hardships they faced without those funds.
President Akufo-Addo said an amount of GHc232 million had been allocated for the stipend, with the health trainees set to receive GHc 400 each month.