The Ghana Nurse-Midwife Trainees’ Association (GNMTA) has appealed to the government to settle two-year unpaid allowances of student nurses.
The President of the Association, Pascal Adumbisa, noted that the withheld allowances amid economic hardship are making life unbearable for the students.
According to the leadership of GNMTA, all efforts to get the government, through the Ministry of Health, to settle the arrears have proven futile.
“We are owed about almost two years, and others are also owed about eighteen months, and those in the second year are owed about 16 months, and some are owed 14 months. So we issued a statement on July 25 to the government that it should come through for us because we have had engagements with stakeholders on the issue of allowance, but we have not had any response from the Ministry”, the President of the Association said in an interview monitored by The Ghana Report on Citi FM.
It will be recalled that in July 2023, the Ghana Nurse-Midwife Trainees’ Association (GNMTA) called on the government to address the matter, which had remained unresolved for over a year.
GNMTA appealed to the government to act swiftly and provide the necessary financial support to alleviate the burdens faced by the trainees.
“Despite the initiation of several petitions submitted to the government of Ghana, no resolution has been achieved yet regarding the payment of trainee nurses and midwives’ allowances. This prolonged delay has exacerbated the hardships faced by the trainees who depend on these allowances for their education and well-being”.
“We humbly appeal to the government to prioritize and expedite the resolution of this matter immediately. The trainees, who have tirelessly dedicated themselves to their studies and professional development, have been left disillusioned and betrayed by the government’s blatant refusal to honour its promises. In an act of sheer injustice, the government of Ghana has displayed a disturbing lack of empathy by denying trainee nurses what they rightfully deserve – the payment of allowances, as previously pledged”.
“This undermines the very essence of fairness and plunges the hopes and aspirations of these diligent health professionals into despair. The trainee nurses and midwives, who have been indispensable pillars of the nation’s healthcare system, have been gravely affected by this gross dereliction of duty”.
“Despite their unwavering commitment and the crucial role they play in providing quality healthcare services, the government has failed to compensate them for their invaluable contributions”.
“The fallout from this egregious failure by the government is already evident, as trainee nurses and midwives face severe financial hardships, hindering their ability to focus fully on their essential training and achieving the highest levels of expertise in their field. This failure presents a major setback not only for the trainees themselves but for the entire healthcare sector of Ghana”.
“It is imperative that the government of Ghana swiftly addresses this issue and takes immediate action to right
this wrong. The trainee nurses and midwives deserve nothing short of the government’s unwavering commitment to fulfil its obligation to pay the promised allowances. Delaying justice will simply deepen the disillusionment and resentment among trainee nurses and midwives,” the association said in a press statement.