The ongoing strike by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) is taking a devastating toll on healthcare delivery across the country, with public hospitals scaling down operations and patients left without care.
At the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, the usually bustling Outpatients Department (OPD) was virtually empty on Monday, with no nurses or midwives in sight. The situation was similar at the Adabraka Polyclinic, where patients were either turned away or left unattended as the facility appeared largely deserted.
But conditions in the Eastern Region are even more alarming. At the Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua, families have begun forcibly discharging their loved ones due to the complete absence of nursing care. Several relatives told reporters they had no choice but to take their sick family members home, fearing the lack of medical support could worsen their conditions.
Also at the Mental Health Unit of the same facility, families say they received calls from staff on Sunday, June 8, urging them to come and collect their relatives. The unit, which typically requires around-the-clock monitoring, is now reportedly being manned by just one overwhelmed psychologist.
“My son is here at the Mental Health Unit. I was called yesterday to come for him because of the ongoing strike. I would have to resort to a prayer camp now for his healing. We are really frustrated,” one patient’s relative told Channel One News.
Pregnant women scheduled for antenatal care (ANC) have also been turned away from public health facilities.
“I was given a date to come for a check-up. When I got here today, the place was empty. The government should heed their concerns, we are struggling,” a pregnant woman lamented.
Agyemang John, a mental health nurse and Chairperson for the GRNMA in the New Juaben South Municipality, revealed the dire staffing situation, saying “At the mental health unit, we are about 16 staff members—only one psychiatrist and a physician assistant. The psychiatrist is currently on leave, and the rest of us are the nurses, who are now on strike.”
In the North East Region, Healthcare access in the Chereponi district has come to a standstill, as the district hospital closed its doors on Monday, June 9, following the complete withdrawal of nurses. The shutdown has left residents without any medical alternatives, prompting urgent appeals to the government to intervene and restore services.
Reports say operations are slow but ongoing at Bimbilla government hospital. Some nurses who are not GRNMA members remain at post, but wards such as the children’s unit are nearly empty. Nurses attributed the low patient numbers there to seasonal trends rather than the strike.
The GRNMA commenced its nationwide industrial action to press home the demand for the implementation of its 2024 Collective Agreement. Key demands include payment of unpaid allowances, fuel and medical allowances, rural incentive allowances, renewal of practising licenses, and the introduction of a 13th-month salary.
As the strike drags on, the absence of vital healthcare personnel continues to endanger lives, leaving many Ghanaians in a state of fear, frustration, and helplessness.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health is currently in a closed-door meeting with the leadership of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) and other key stakeholders in an effort to resolve the ongoing strike.
We’re open to talks, not renegotiation – GRNMA to Health Minister