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Members
of
the
Rotational
Nurses
and
Midwives
Association
have
called
on
the
Ministry
of
Health,
the
government,
and
all
relevant
stakeholders
to
address
their
concerns
urgently.
According
to
them,
they
have
completed
their
mandatory
National
Service,
yet
have
not
been
posted
due
to
delay
in
securing
clearance
for
their
employment.
“The
Rotational
Nurses
and
Midwives
Association,
representing
over
11,000
nurses
and
midwives
who
have
completed
their
one-year
mandatory
national
service,
that
is
from
July
2023
to
June
2024,
wishes
to
bring
to
the
attention
of
the
Ministry
of
Health,
the
government
and
the
general
public,
the
severe
hardships
we
have
endured
due
to
the
delayed
issuance
of
financial
clearance
and
the
consequent
non-payment
of
our
allowances,”
they
said
in
a
press
release
dated
July
17.
Please
read
full
release
below:
BACKGROUND
The
Rotational
Nurses
and
Midwives
Association
comprises
Registered
General
Nurses,
Registered
Midwives,
Registered
Public
Health
Nurses
and
Registered
Mental
Health
Nurses
who
have
successfully
passed
their
licensing
examinations
and
are
mandated
to
undertake
a
one-year
National
service
called
Rotation
in
the
nursing
field.
This
rotation,
which
began
in
July
2023
and
ended
in
June
2024,
is
a
crucial
phase
in
our
professional
development
and
integration
into
the
healthcare
system
of
our
nation.
FINANCIAL
CHALLENGES
Throughout
these
twelve
months,
we
have
been
tirelessly
working
in
various
health
facilities
across
the
country,
providing
essential
healthcare
services.
Despite
our
dedication
and
hard
work,
we
have
faced
significant
financial
challenges
due
to
the
non-payment
of
our
allowances.
This
situation
has
had
detrimental
effects
on
our
lives
and
professional
duties:
-
Transportation
Costs:
Many
of
us
have
struggled
to
afford
transportation
to
and
fro
our
places
of
assignment.
This
has
not
only
affected
our
punctuality
but
also
our
ability
to
deliver
timely
and
effective
healthcare
services.
-
Accommodation
Issues:
Numerous
Rotation
nurses
and
midwives
are
facing
eviction
from
their
homes
due
to
the
inability
to
pay
rent.
Our
landlords
have
shown
little
patience,
given
the
extended
delay
in
our
allowance
payments,
leading
to
stressful
living
conditions.
-
Daily
Sustenance:
The
cost
of
living
continues
to
rise,
and
without
our
allowances,
meeting
basic
needs
such
as
food,
utilities,
and
healthcare
has
been
an
overwhelming
challenge.
This
financial
strain
has
not
only
affected
our
physical
health
but
also
our
mental
well-being.
-
Medical
Bills:
it’s
so
sad
to
say,
we
have
lost
some
of
our
colleagues
during
this
period,
per
information,
medical
bills
and
other
essentials
contributed
to
the
deterioration
of
their
conditions
leading
to
their
untimely
demise.
MAY
THEIR
SOULS
REST
IN
PEACE.
Again,
some
of
our
members
are
battling
various
disease
conditions
and
are
struggling
to
keep
up
with
medical
bills
due
to
the
lack
of
financial
support
and
delayed
financial
clearance.
ENGAGEMENT
WITH
THE
MINISTRY
Over
the
past
year,
we
have
written
several
letters
to
the
Ministry
of
Health,
seeking
engagement
and
resolution
on
the
matter
of
our
unpaid
allowances.
On
April
16,
2024,
we
took
to
the
street
to
demonstrate
and
present
our
petition
by
walking
in
the
rain
to
the
Ministry
of
Finance
and
Health.
We
were
reassured
by
the
Director
of
Human
Resource
and
the
Ministry
of
Health
PRO
that
our
petitions
were
received
and
they
would
swiftly
and
continue
to
engage
the
finance
Ministry
for
our
clearance
to
be
released
in
due
time
to
facilitate
our
payments.
However,
these
reassurances
have
amounted
to
nothing
more
than
crocodile
tears,
as
no
action
has
been
taken
to
date.
After
the
demonstration
two
official
letters
have
been
submitted
to
follow
up
on
our
previous
petition
and
have
not
received
the
necessary
attention.
CURRENT
STATUS
AND
IMMEDIATE
As
of
June
2024,
we
have
completed
our
national
service
and
are
currently
unemployed,
awaiting
the
issuance
of
financial
clearance
which
is
a
prerequisite
for
the
payment
of
our
allowances.
The
delay
in
financial
clearance
has
prolonged
our
financial
instability,
suffering
and
left
us
in
a
state
of
uncertainty.
Moreover,
the
2024/25
batch
of
our
junior
colleagues
who
commenced
their
rotation
in
May
2024
are
already
two
months
into
their
service
without
receiving
any
allowances.
This
early
indication
of
financial
neglect
raises
serious
concerns
about
the
ongoing
maltreatment
and
neglect
of
rotational
Nurses
and
Midwives
in
the
healthcare
sector.
DISAPPOINTMENT
IN
GOVERNMENT
AND
MINISTRY
We
are
deeply
disappointed
in
the
government
and
the
relevant
ministries
for
their
inaction
and
lack
of
communication
on
this
critical
issue.
Despite
our
efforts
to
engage
with
them
and
the
reassurances
we
received,
there
has
been
no
tangible
progress.
Enough
is
enough.
EMPLOYMENT
CONCERNS
We
are
aware
that
seniors
from
the
2020
and
2021
batches
have
not
yet
been
posted.
Recently,
we
have
seen
party
communicators
and
politicians
on
TV,
unofficial
articles
circulating
claiming
that
our
batch
(2022),
along
with
the
2020
and
2021
batches,
will
be
posted.
We
demand
that
the
Ministry
of
Health
provides
a
clear
update
on
this
matter.
While
our
primary
fight
is
for
the
payment
of
our
allowances,
we
also
advocate
for
the
employment
of
all
qualified
nurses
and
midwives
from
the
2020,
2021,
and
2022
batches.
Given
the
evident
need
for
more
healthcare
staff
in
the
country,
we
plead
with
the
Ministry
to
consider
employing
us
right
after
our
rotation.
We
have
acquired
valuable
skills
and
are
ready
to
contribute
effectively
to
the
healthcare
system.
In
May
2024,
The
Ghana
Registered
Nurses
and
Midwives
association
(GR
NMA)
commemorated
the
international
nurse’s
day
2024
in
Accra
Where
the
Vice
President
and
the
current
flag
bearer
of
the
New
Patriotic
Party
was
a
guest
speaker.
Madam
Perpetual
Ofori
Ampofo,
the
president
of
GRNMA
Highlighted
the
delayed
payment
of
the
rotational
allowances
and
that
of
the
trainees,
However
The
vice
President
H.E
Dr
Bawumia
didn’t
respond
to
the
concerns
about
the
service
allowance
but
made
a
promise
to
the
trainee
nurses
for
what
we
see
as
his
political
gimmick
which
has
now
been
fulfilled
partially.
We
also
want
to
draw
his
attention
that
these
11,000
rotation
nurses
together
with
the
current
batch
which
is
20,478
Who
have
been
owed
both
trainee’s
allowance
and
their
national
service
allowance
are
registered
voters
and
can
influence
the
outcome
of
the
upcoming
election.
CALL
TO
ACTION
We,
the
members
of
the
Rotational
Nurses
and
Midwives
Association,
call
on
the
Ministry
of
Health,
the
government,
and
all
relevant
stakeholders
to
address
our
concerns
urgently.
OUR
SPECIFIC
DEMANDS
ARE
AS
FOLLOWS:
Immediate
Issuance
of
Financial
Clearance:
We
demand
the
immediate
issuance
of
financial
clearance
to
facilitate
the
payment
of
all
unpaid
allowances
and
enable
us
to
meet
our
basic
needs.
Payment
of
Unpaid
Allowances:
Following
the
issuance
of
financial
clearance,
we
expect
the
swift
disbursement
of
all
outstanding
allowances
to
alleviate
our
financial
burdens.
Regular
Engagement
and
Communication:
We
request
regular
and
transparent
communication
from
the
Ministry
of
Health
regarding
the
status
of
our
financial
clearance
and
allowances
to
keep
us
informed
and
involved
in
the
process.
Employment
of
All
Qualified
Nurses:
We
urge
the
Ministry
to
employ
all
qualified
nurses
and
midwives
from
the
2020,
2021,
and
2022
batches
to
make
effective
use
of
our
acquired
skills
and
meet
the
healthcare
needs
of
the
country.
Support
Systems
for
Rotational
Service
Personnel:
We
advocate
for
the
establishment
of
support
systems
and
mechanisms
to
address
the
financial
and
professional
challenges
faced
by
rotational
nurses
and
midwives,
ensuring
that
future
cohorts
do
not
experience
similar
hardships.
Immediate
Intervention
for
2024/25
batch
of
Rotational
Nurses
and
Midwives:
We
call
on
the
Ministry
to
commence
processes
immediately
to
ensure
that
our
juniors,
who
started
their
rotation
two
months
ago,
do
not
go
through
the
same
financial
hardships
that
we
and
our
seniors
have
endured.
They
should
actively
begin
the
process
to
lift
them
from
this
financial
difficulty.
CONCLUSION
AND
NEXT
STEPS
The
Rotational
Nurses
and
Midwives
Association
remains
committed
to
serving
our
nation
and
providing
quality
healthcare.
However,
our
ability
to
do
so
is
severely
compromised
by
the
current
financial
challenges.
We
call
on
all
stakeholders
to
act
swiftly
and
decisively
to
resolve
these
issues,
recognizing
the
critical
role
that
nurses
and
midwives
play
in
the
health
and
well-being
of
our
communities.
If
we
do
not
receive
a
response
and
the
financial
clearance
is
not
released
within
one
week,
we
will
be
forced
to
take
drastic
action.
Our
landlords
are
evicting
us,
and
without
financial
support,
we
will
have
no
choice
but
to
come
and
make
the
Ministry
of
Health
our
new
place
of
residence.
We
will
also
engage
our
junior
colleagues
who
services
are
two
months
into
their
service
to
withdraw
their
sees
across
the
country
in
protest
of
this
unjust
treatment.
The
Ministry
is
responsible
for
advocating
on
our
behalf,
and
we
will
hold
them
accountable
until
our
demands
are
met.
Enough
is
enough.
We
are
hopeful
that
our
concerns
will
be
addressed
promptly,
allowing
us
to
continue
our
professional
journey
with
the
dignity
and
support
we
deserve.
Thank
you
for
your
time
and
attention
to
this
matter