The Greater Accra Chairman of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), Jefferson Asare, has revealed the harsh and often overlooked struggles faced by nurses nationwide—exposing deep-rooted neglect within Ghana’s healthcare system.
Speaking in an interview on Saturday, June 14, Mr. Asare described a disturbing reality where nurses injured on the job are forced to pay for their own medical care, including treatment for work-related injuries.
“We didn’t ask for cash handouts. We asked for basic medical support, a form of insurance. Imagine a psychiatric nurse injured by a client, and still having to pay for treatment out of pocket at the same facility. Even paracetamol, we buy and keep receipts,” he stated.
He recounted a recent case involving a nurse who suffered a spinal injury at work. The facility allegedly failed to provide support, leaving the GRNMA to shoulder the burden of his care.
“If he doesn’t recover soon, he’ll be taken off,” Asare lamented, referring to the lack of job security and protection for frontline workers.
He also noted that during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, infected nurses had to self-fund their treatment, further exposing the systemic failure to safeguard those risking their lives for public health.
These revelations follow the suspension of a nationwide strike by the GRNMA, which began on June 9, 2025.
The industrial action was in protest against the government’s decision to defer the implementation of agreed-upon conditions of service to 2026, a move the union vehemently opposed.
The strike had a significant impact on healthcare delivery, with emergency wards, outpatient departments, and maternity units severely understaffed, resulting in long delays and overwhelmed facilities.
Following intense public pressure and renewed negotiations, the government agreed to reconsider its position, leading to the GRNMA calling off the strike during a press briefing in Accra.
GRNMA President Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo used the opportunity to urge government to show genuine respect and commitment to nurses by resolving longstanding issues affecting their welfare and working conditions.
“Our demands are not luxuries, they’re necessities for safe, dignified care. Nurses deserve better,” she asserted.