The coalition of Concerned Nurses and Midwives’ trainees, has, in a sterling revelation, disclosed that government is owing nursing trainees a staggering 92 months of arrears across different batches.
According to the trainees, no single batch of students since the restoration of the allowance in 2017, has received full payment.
In a statement released Wednesday, May 15, 2024, the nursing and midwife trainees said about 30 per cent of its members have never received any allowance at all since its restoration, with varying number of trainees owed across different year groups.
The trainees’ statement come on the back of the Vice President’s assertion that the New Patriotic Party administration has lived up to its word by restoring the allowances and been paying consistently.
Describing the situation as “untenable and unacceptable”, the coalition admonished the government to pay the arrears owed them, including those who have completed school, to subdue the financial constraints they are going through.
Find below the full statement for the arrears statistics.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
PAYMENT OF NURSES AND MIDWIVES’ TRAINEE ALLOWANCE
The coalition of Concerned Nurses and midwives’ trainee, have taken note of a recent statement made by H.E Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice President and Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, NPP, regarding the restoration and consistent payment of Trainees’ Allowances.
While the Vice President has touted the government’s commitment to restoring and maintaining trainees’ allowances, the reality on the ground tells a different story. As of May 2024:
2017 Batch: One month of arrears is owed to trainees who completed in 2020.
2018 Batch: Three months of arrears is owed to trainees who completed in 2021.
2019 Batch: Four months of arrears is owed to trainees who completed in 2022.
2020 Batch: A staggering fifteen months of arrears is owed to trainees who completed in 2023.
2021 Batch: Trainees in their 3rd year as of May 2024 are owed 27 months of arrears, while those in 2-year courses are owed 17 months.
In not less than a month these batch of trainees will complete their training with this huge sum of arrears.
2022 Batch: An estimated 16 months of arrears are owed as of May 2024. 2023 Batch: Nine months of arrears is owed to trainees who will complete in 2026 as of May 2024.
Approximately 30% of trainees have never received any allowances at all. And after Completion, trainees do not stand any chance of receiving their arrears owed by government as there is no arrangement put in place for that since the restoration of allowance evidence by many trainees who completed without allowance and has never been paid their arrears since.
This situation is untenable and unacceptable. Trainees across various batches are facing significant financial hardships due to the non-payment of their allowances. It is imperative that the government acts swiftly to address this issue and fulfill its promises by paying all arrears as stated above due trainees not the usual one-month payment out of then many arrears being owed by government to these hardworking students.
We call on the government to prioritize the payment of arrears owed to trainees and ensure that such delays do not occur in the future. The education and well-being of our nurses and midwives should never be compromised.
