Govt’s failure to employ us depressing – Unemployed Nurses

The Coalition of Nurses and Midwives in the Northern Region has described the government’s failure to post them to various health facilities as depressing.

The graduate unemployed nurses and midwives numbering over 75, 000 bemoaned the lack of unemployment 4 years, after completion of school.

The Coalition on Friday, March 1, 2024, hit the streets in the region to express their discontent with the government’s failure to provide financial clearance and permanent employment.

The group registered its dissatisfaction primarily with the government and its agencies, specifically the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Ministry of Finance (MoF) over the perceived failure of these entities to grant financial clearance and secure permanent employment for more than 75,000 graduate nurses and midwives who have undergone training at various accredited public universities and training colleges.

During an interview, the Vice President of the Coalition, Suale Mubarak, narrated how some members of the Coalition, have to depend on meagre income from private facilities and menial jobs for survival.

“It’s been tough and depressing, it will interest you to know that some of our members survive on meagre salaries of GHC300, GHC200 from private facilities. If you know the treatment some members receive in the hands of these private hospitals, you will feel pity for us.”

He added, “We’re really struggling, our members are going through hard times. It’s even difficult to come by 3 square meals a day. If you speak to the average graduate nurse, you will feel the pain we are going through. It is depressing, we are losing hope by the day. Four years after school is not an easy thing. And we expect that the government through whom we pay our taxes for developments will at t least do the needful by listening to our cry and clear us and then subsequently post us.”

He complained about the government’s constant reneging of its promises.

“We have been trying our best to get in touch with the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Health. A series of letters have specifically been sent to the Ministry of Health on a few occasions, they have agreed to speak to us, but they have constantly repeated the vague assurances.

“No timelines have been given to us for the clearance to be issued. They have not been able to give us a date they will give us clearance, and subsequently post us.”

He vowed that the Coalition would hit the streets of other regions to get results from the government.