The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has assured the striking nurses and midwives that government is committed to implementing their conditions of service, albeit in a manner that won’t strain the national budget.
At a joint press conference held by the Ministries of Health and Finance on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, the Health Minister noted that the government is ready to engage with the striking association to address their concerns without compromising the national budget.
“Government wishes to stress its readiness to further engage with the view to implementing the Conditions of Service in a manner that does not dislocate the national budget.
“We wish to draw attention to the fact that the conditions of service under reference are not captured in the 2025 budget and will completely throw the economy off-gear if implemented immediately in the manner it currently exists,” Akandoh stated.
He noted that the administration doesn’t want to incur expenditure not captured in the budget, which could lead to economic hardship.
“We are mindful of the serious economic consequences of unbudgeted expenditure and want to avoid the economic slippages that led to hardships in the recent past. Government commits to continue to engage with the nurses in order to achieve a mutually acceptable outcome in the interest of the public,” he added.
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, the Minister has disclosed that the Finance Ministry and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) to lead the charge in developing a roadmap to help the implementation of the conditions of service.
“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,” he stated.
Leadership of GRNMA is playing a political game with the strike – PRO of UPNMG
