The Union of Professional Nurses and Midwives, Ghana (UPNMG) has issued an urgent appeal to their striking colleagues of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) to return to work immediately.
The GRNMA had embarked on a strike action several days ago, citing unresolved demands to their employer, including improved working conditions, better remuneration, and additional benefits.
Speaking to OnuaOnline, Iddrisu Abubakar Bajo, the Upper West Regional Secretary of UPNMG, said the decision has an impact on patients and the healthcare system.
“Any of you can become a patient at any point where you will need the services of a nurse,” he strongly admonished.
A visit to the Wa Municipal Hospital revealed that patients arriving at the facility find themselves at the mercy of fate, as both the Out-Patient Department (OPD) and the Emergency unit remain shuttered, pointing to the profound impact of this strike on the local community.
The usually bustling corridors of the facility are now silent, resembling a graveyard rather than a hub of healing.
While a handful of dedicated nurses from the Union of Professional Nurses and Midwives Association of Ghana (UPNMAG) remain on duty, their limited numbers are woefully inadequate to meet the rising demand of patients in distress.
The anguish of countless patients is palpable, yet Abdul Fatawu Mahmod, the Upper West Regional Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association, firmly states that the nurses will not return to work until their demands are adequately addressed.
“It is not our plight to let the patient go through the ordeal they are going through, but at this point in time, we have nothing to do than to push back because we have pushed to the wall for so long”, he stated.
Meaningful engagement can’t happen while you’re still on strike – Akandoh tells GRNMA
By Ibrahim Wangara
