We won’t accept another delay after July 10 – GRNMA

The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) says another delay in implementing their conditions of service will not be tolerated.

This follows the Health Committee’s decision to postpone a long-anticipated meeting from today Thursday June 26 to July 10, citing the absence of the Health and Finance Ministers, who are reportedly outside the country.

The GRNMA had expected the original meeting to mark a turning point in resolving outstanding issues concerning their revised conditions of service.

Speaking on Citi Eyewitness News, the Vice President of GRNMA, Samuel Alagkora Akologo expressed concern over the short notice and questioned why the postponement wasn’t communicated earlier, given the time available to do so.

He said the Association had been acting in good faith by pausing its strike earlier this month on the back of commitments made by the Health Committee. He stressed that their patience should not be mistaken for complacency.

“What we are saying is that we had two weeks to do this work. Why didn’t this communication come much earlier?” he asked. “Is it the possibility that on the 10th this date can be postponed? That possibility is there and that is why we are giving early signal that we will not be happy with that. The fact that we have accepted to wait until 10th should be considered as even reasonable on our part.”

Mr Akologo also cautioned that the Association expects the July 10 meeting to produce tangible results—not more delays or vague assurances.

“I don’t envisage that they will disappoint us but in the unlikely event that they disappoint us, the National Council will advise on what to do,” he said.

“We believe in this process and we are hoping that on 10th July we will not get there and they will tell us we are still doing this. We are going there to get what they have for us with clear timelines, including those they accepted that it should be implemented next year.”

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Health Committee, Dr. Mark Kurt Nawaane, earlier reaffirmed the Committee’s commitment to nurses and midwives, explaining that the postponement was due to unavoidable circumstances.

“The Minister for Health and the Minister for Finance are unavoidably absent from the jurisdiction. The Committee, therefore, thought it prudent to inform the nurses’ association of the above,” Dr. Nawaane told journalists.

“I want to use this opportunity to reassure the nurses that the Health Committee and Parliament will continue to advocate for them.”

CitiNewsRoom