The government has directed the Ministry of Finance to collaborate with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) to develop a roadmap for implementing a process to address the demands of the striking nurses and midwives.
In a media address on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, expressed the government’s commitment to implementing the conditions of service for nurses and midwives.
“Government remains committed to the needed engagements that will lead to the approval and implementation of the new Conditions of Service for nurses and midwives.
He added that, “Accordingly, Government has directed the Ministry of Finance and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission to, as a matter of urgency, lead the development of a roadmap to ensure a smooth implementation of the process.”
This follows the nationwide strike by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) over their conditions of service.
The Ministry of Health had called for an emergency meeting with the leadership on Monday, June 9, but didn’t materialise.
The strike is still ongoing after the government’s earlier request to postpone implementing the nurses’ conditions of service until 2026, an offer the GRNMA rejected outright.
Speaking to journalists after a closed-door meeting on Monday, Vice President of the GRNMA, Samuel Alagkora Akologo, expressed disappointment, revealing that government officials cited budgetary constraints as the reason for the delay.
“We were told there was no budget provision for our demands. These conditions of service were submitted in January, and we expected them to be factored into this year’s budget,” he said.
Mr Akologo noted that the proposal to defer implementation was an attempt to reset the conditions of service calendar and avoid paying arrears.
“They wanted to set the conditions of the service calendar so that it will be like we have just renegotiated, so that the idea of arrears will not come in. This is not fair,” he added.
Meanwhile, health facilities across the country continue to struggle with the absence of nurses and midwives.
According to Akandoh, he has personally engaged with the leadership of the various associations within the nursing and midwifery fraternity and has directed that the Ministry of Finance and FWSC lead the negotiations for a roadmap to resolve the issue.
“I engaged the leadership of all nurses and midwives associations within the health sector on 30th May 2025 to address their challenges and discuss the subsequent roadmap leading to the implementation of the new Conditions of Service,” Akandoh added.
Parliamentary Health Committee member blames GRNMA leadership for ongoing strike
