The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) is raising fresh concerns over delays in the recruitment of more than 1,000 qualified nurses and midwives who completed their training between 2021 and 2024, but are still awaiting posting.
According to the Association, the prolonged wait is placing additional pressure on the already strained healthcare system, particularly in facilities grappling with staff shortages.
The leadership of GRNMA made the call during a ceremony in Accra on August 12 to commemorate this year’s International Youth Day.
While acknowledging that over 90,000 nurses and midwives have been employed in the last six years, with another 68,000 recruited in recent years, the Association maintains that a significant gap still remains.
“We have nurses and midwives who are currently not being posted — 2021, 2022, 2023, and even 2024 batches,” said Samuel Akologo, Vice President of GRNMA.
“As they sit at home, their skills are deteriorating. We cannot pretend to care about the health of this country if we are not ready to invest significantly in healthcare.”
The Association is calling on the government to expedite the posting process, warning that delays not only waste valuable human resources but also compromise quality healthcare delivery.
The GRNMA Youth Desk also added its voice to the call, urging increased government investment in the health sector to open up more employment opportunities for young healthcare professionals.
Other speakers at the event stressed the need to empower Ghanaian youth through job creation, skills development, and inclusive policy, describing it as essential to building a resilient and sustainable future.
The GRNMA says it remains optimistic that the government will act swiftly to not only reduce unemployment among trained nurses and midwives but also to strengthen the nation’s healthcare system.
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