GRNMA President pushes for medical, motor insurance packages for nurses

The President of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), Mrs Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, has called for comprehensive medical and motor insurance packages for nurses and midwives, citing the risks they face both at work and in their daily lives.

She said the welfare of nurses and midwives must go beyond their salaries and conditions of service to include adequate protection against medical expenses and financial losses arising from road accidents.

Mrs Ofori-Ampofo made the appeal during a courtesy call on the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council by the national and regional leadership of the Association.

She expressed concern over the number of motorbike accidents involving nurses and midwives, noting that many health professionals depend on motorcycles for their daily transportation.

She said insurance arrangements would help protect members from the financial burden associated with such accidents.

The GRNMA President also called for comprehensive medical insurance covering nurses, midwives and their families, arguing that healthcare professionals should not face difficulties accessing the very services they provide to others.

According to her, while some corporate organisations offer medical insurance benefits to employees and their dependants, nurses and midwives often lack similar arrangements and sometimes struggle to obtain full medical care in their own workplaces.

She commended the Upper West Regional Hospital for providing nurses with 100 per cent medical care, describing the initiative as an example that other health facilities should consider adopting.

On the Association’s industrial relations with government, Mrs Ofori-Ampofo said GRNMA does not take pleasure in embarking on strikes, explaining that industrial action usually follows the failure of dialogue to resolve concerns.

She also reiterated that the Association is apolitical, while expressing concern that nursing continues to receive inadequate recognition despite its central role in healthcare delivery.

She argued that investing in the welfare of nurses and midwives would benefit the wider population, as patients ultimately depend on a motivated and adequately supported health workforce.

Mrs Ofori-Ampofo further called for increased investment in healthcare infrastructure and personnel in the Upper East Region to keep pace with its development needs and growing population.

Responding to the concerns, the Chief Director of the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council, Mr Bless Kwame Darkey, assured the Association that efforts were being made to improve the working and living conditions of health workers in the region.

He acknowledged the human resource challenges affecting healthcare delivery in northern Ghana but urged nurses, particularly newly posted personnel, not to be discouraged by negative perceptions about the area.

Drawing on his own experience after recently relocating to the north following 32 years of working in southern Ghana, Mr Darkey said his stay had challenged some of the stereotypes he previously held about the region.

He described the Upper East Region as safe, secure and full of development potential, disclosing that he had visited all 15 districts as part of his familiarisation tour.

Mr Darkey also revealed that assemblies had been directed to allocate 20 per cent of funds under the additional assembly programmes towards health infrastructure, including Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds and residential accommodation for health workers.

He said the Regional Coordinating Council was monitoring the assemblies to ensure the provision of the facilities, which he believes will improve working conditions and encourage more health professionals to accept postings to the region.