An empty OPD
HEALTH SERVICES across the country have come to a near standstill following the nationwide strike action by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), leaving patients stranded and struggling to access care.
GRNMA is protesting what it describes as a year-long delay by the Ministry of Health in implementing its reviewed Collective Agreement signed in May 2024.
According to the Association, the initial strike will be followed by a withdrawal of Outpatient Department (OPD) services from June 4 to 8, 2025. If the government fails to address their demands, the GRNMA has warned of a total withdrawal of all nursing and midwifery services starting June 9, 2025.
A visit to the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital), showed that nurses at the Outpatient Department, the Antenatal and Child Health, Special Services, as well as Public Health Services have abandoned their post in demand for government to do the needful.
Volta Region
A visit to the hospital’s Outpatient Department and Family Care Unit on Wednesday at the Volta Regional Hospital in Hohoe revealed a grim scene where no nurses or midwives were at post, and patients were left unattended for hours.
In their absence, doctors and house officers have been forced to take on additional responsibilities, including taking vital signs, tasks usually handled by nurses.
However, the overwhelming number of patients has made it nearly impossible for the few available medical personnel to cope.
Efforts to speak with some of the doctors were unsuccessful, as they appeared visibly overburdened and preoccupied with attempting to provide emergency care under severe constraints.
In an interview with the Volta Regional Chairman of the GRNMA, Mr. Courage Kwame Kumah confirmed the full implementation of the strike in the region. He reiterated the Association’s call for government intervention, urging the public to support their demands for improved conditions of service.
“We are calling on government to prioritise the welfare of nurses and midwives. Our conditions of service must be urgently addressed to restore normalcy in healthcare delivery,” he said.
At the hospital’s Emergency Unit, frustrated patients and their relatives voiced their displeasure over the dire situation. Some recounted waiting for hours without receiving any medical attention.
Tamale
Some patients in Tamale in the Northern Region, have been left stranded due to the nationwide strike by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association.
At the main Outpatient Department of the Tamale Teaching Hospital, patients were left unattended due to the absence of nurses.
Patients who visited the facility for medical attention expressed their disappointment, as they were unable to access essential services.
They urged the government to urgently address the situation with the aggrieved nurses.
The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association, has withdrawn outpatient and emergency services in response to the government’s failure to implement agreed-upon conditions of service.
Govt Response
The ongoing strike, which has taken full effect across the country, has prompted urgent calls from civil society and patient advocacy groups for immediate government action to end the stalemate.
In a statement released by Tony Goodman, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, a high-level meeting took place on May 30, 2025, between the ministry and major stakeholders in the nursing and midwifery sector.
The meeting included representatives from the GRNMA, the Union of Professional Nurses and Midwives (UPNMG), the Ghana Registered Midwives Association (GRMA), the National Association of Registered Midwives (NARM-G), the Psychiatric Nurses Association of Ghana (PAPNG), and the Nurses and Midwives Educators Society.
At the meeting, the unions presented a unified demand for the implementation of a Collective Agreement signed in 2024, which they claim has not been honoured. Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh assured the stakeholders that their concerns would be addressed promptly.
While most of the associations agreed to continue offering services, the GRNMA maintained its position to go ahead with the strike, prompting the ministry to prepare for the disruption.
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke, Daniel K. Orlando, Volta & Eric Kombat, Tamale