The Minister of Health among some of the health workers during his visit
The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has appealed to members of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) to return to work and resume duty, emphasising the urgent need to prioritise the health and lives of patients amid an ongoing nationwide strike.
During a monitoring tour of key health facilities, including the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, LEKMA Hospital, and the Greater Accra Regional (Ridge) Hospital on June 5, 2025, the minister noted that the strike had significantly affected healthcare delivery.
Although some health professionals remained at post, the absence of many nurses and midwives had disrupted services at major government hospitals.
“As the minister responsible for health, I decided to visit some of these health institutions to have firsthand information about what is going on. Let me put on record that I am the first person to pursue any reasonable and legitimate concern from any health worker, and I will do just that,” he stated.
Akandoh revealed that since assuming office three months ago, he has engaged the leadership of the GRNMA on multiple occasions in a bid to address their concerns.
“Since I took office about three months ago, I have engaged the nurses and midwives’ group more than six times within that period. I have an open-door policy, and I am still willing to engage them at any given time. In fact, today I personally attempted to call the leadership to urge continued dialogue,” he added.
Appealing for calm and dialogue, the minister stressed, “I will continue to appeal to them, but in all these matters, what we have to do is put the patients first. I do not believe a strike is the best option. No matter what, we have to sit around the table to resolve the matter.”
He acknowledged the grievances of the health professionals but urged them to consider the impact of the strike on the most vulnerable in society, including patients in critical condition who rely on consistent care.
“I remain open to constructive engagement and am hopeful that this situation will be resolved swiftly in the interest of public health,” he said.
The nationwide strike by the GRNMA, now in its second day, has plunged emergency services at major hospitals into disarray. At Ridge Hospital, outpatient departments and emergency wards were largely deserted, leaving patients without medical attention and halting routine operations.
Many patients who arrived in search of urgent care were turned away, with no nurses or midwives available to attend to them.
AM/KA