Retired nurses volunteering is not a solution to the problem – GRNMA tells govt
The government’s request for retired nurses and midwives to temporarily return to work has been denied by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), which claims the action is not a workable way to end the current statewide strike.
GRNMA Vice President Samuel Alagkora Akologo responded to Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh’s request that retired health workers fill in as a temporary solution, calling the proposal misguided and inconsiderate of the reality faced by retired professionals.
“We just feel we are not being treated fairly,” Akologo said in an interview on Citi Eyewitness News on Tuesday June 10. “What he said — that they have asked retired nurses and midwives to come and support…They are battling with cardiovascular diseases, [metabolic] chemical diseases, which they are using their meagre pension money to take care of.”
He emphasized that a large number of retired nurses experience the same socioeconomic challenges as the general public, rendering them unprepared for the mental and physical strain of rejoining the workforce.
Since they can’t be counted on to fix a systemic crisis, Akologo claims that the majority of them quit the service early because of unfavorable working conditions.
“So to say you are calling on retired nurses to come and work — the solution to the problem is: we’ve made a proposal. Start the implementation now. At least if there are arrears and you think you cannot pay, you can discuss that one later. But to tell us to wait till next year is not something that we will accept,” he stressed.
Akologo also questioned the government’s plan’s viability, pointing out that many of the retired nurses are already GRNMA members and that there aren’t many of them.
“How many are the retired nurses? Most of them go home very early. So how many are they? And they are our members… The minister is not even aware of that,” he said.
While acknowledging that some retired nurses may choose to volunteer during this difficult period, Akologo maintained that such a gesture cannot replace real, long-term solutions.
“We have no problem if they decide to come and assist — after all, we are also not happy with the situation in the country. So if they come and they are able to deal with the dying emergencies, it is fine with everybody. But it is not the solution to the problem. How long can they go?”
The GRNMA is adamant that their updated terms of service be implemented immediately, cautioning that short-term fixes such as appealing to retirees won’t address the underlying problems that led to the strike.
