Dr Richard Amoako Baah, Political Scientist, has appealed to the nurses to prioritize the need of their patients over anything.
He told them money should not take precedence over everything.
“I appeal to our nurses and midwives to have compassion for patients. Money should not take precedence over everything,” he said on the Key Point on TV3 Saturday June 14.
Another Political Scientist at the University of Ghana, Dr Joshua Jebuntie Zaato, for his part, accused the government of insensitivity in the way they managed the strike of the nurses.
He noted that just as the Finance Minister met the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) and assured that the rates for the book and research allowance and payment have been catered for in the budget, the government could have also created a fiscal space to meet the demand of the nurses.
“The government was insensitive and lazy by not creating fiscal space for nurses,” he said.
In the view of Kpebu, it is clear that the government does not have fiscal space due to the conditionality of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
He added that all Ghanaians are bearing the brunt of the hardships; therefore, they should be patient with the government.
“We will beg them to listen to the government and see how they can compromise with the government.
“They are not the only people feeling the hardship in Ghana. It is clear that there isn’t fiscal space,” he also said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday June 14.
Speaking on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, June 14, he said that they had received calls from prominent Ghanaians complaining about the impact of their action.
In addition, he said the invitation from the select committee on health informed their decision to put the strike on hold.
“We had to listen to the cry of the people and of course, the representatives of the people,” he said.
A statement that was issued earlier, announcing the suspension of their strike on Friday, June 13, signed by its president, Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo said that as nurses and midwives, they do not take delight in seeing their patients suffer; however, they cannot take good care of others when the system does not take good care of them.
The protest began with nurses and midwives wearing red armbands and headbands from June 2 to 3, followed by the withdrawal of Outpatient Department (OPD) services from June 4 to 8, 2025.
The National Labour Commission (NLC) secured a court injunction after declaring the strike illegal and has directed the GRNMA to return to the negotiation table with the Ministry of Health.
