Minority fights govt over decision to recruit SHS leavers for CHPS facilities
The Minority in Parliament has described as unfortunate and irresponsible a decision by the government to recruit and deploy Senior High School (SHS) graduates to Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds at a time trained nurses, doctors and other health workers have not been employed.
The Youth Employment Agency (YEA), which seeks to implement the project, said the SHS graduates would assist with basic health care delivery, such as recording patients’ medical history at CHPS compounds in rural communities.
Addressing a press conference in Parliament on Thursday, 8 September, Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, called for qualified professionals to be recruited to health facilities.
“We, the Minority in Parliament, find it highly unfortunate and irresponsible that with the large numbers of trained doctors, nurses and other allied health professionals at home and waiting to be absorbed into the public health system, the government would rather opt to recruit untrained and unlicensed high school leavers to fill in gaps within the healthcare system,” he said.
He described the move as disturbing and opposed the idea.
“These ever-widening gaps of professional care within the health system are the direct consequence of the government’s lack of sensitivity and concern for the welfare of health professionals.
“Contrary to the propaganda and noise government makes on addressing the welfare needs of health professionals, most professionals can confirm that their conditions of service have deteriorated over the years.
“The economic challenges of hyperinflation and unprecedented depreciation of the Ghana Cedi under the Bawumia-led economic management team has eroded whatever value accrues as meagre salaries of all Ghanaian workers,” he noted.
Despite a protest from the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) to employ qualified nurses in the CHP compounds, the YEA said it is fully prepared to sustain the programme.
In an earlier statement issued on Monday, 22 August 2022, the association noted that: “Indeed, the work in these rural communities can be quite daunting for CHNs to the extent that they can hardly have time to attend to their personal and career development issues. They, therefore, require assistance but not from Senior High School (SHS) graduates.”
“Nurse Assistants (Preventive) who are also appointed as CHNs. In total, there is a backlog of over 20,000 nurses and midwives of all cadres belonging to 2019, 2020, and 2021 batches also awaiting employment,” it added.
The statement further said the decision is “disturbing and a clear displacement of Ghana’s priority to achieve the targets of Sustainable Development Goal 3(SDG 3) and Universal Health Coverage by 2030.”