Government spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu says the Mahama administration deliberately excluded the implementation of new conditions of service for nurses and midwives from the 2025 budget.
The Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese MP explained that this was because negotiations with the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) had not been concluded when the new government assumed office.
Speaking on PM Express, Mr. Kwakye Ofosu justified the omission amid a nationwide strike by nurses and midwives that continues to paralyse healthcare delivery.
The strike follows a failed emergency meeting with the Ministry of Health, during which the GRNMA rejected the government’s proposal to defer the implementation of their revised conditions of service until 2026.
“We chose not to budget for it because negotiations were incomplete,” Mr. Kwakye Ofosu stated.
“Given that discussions had not been concluded, and we had not reached a point where we could comfortably include it in the national budget, it was necessary to hold further deliberations.”
He argued that including the nurses’ package without a final agreement could destabilise the fiscal framework.
“You can’t put that quantum of unbudgeted expenditure on yourself,” he warned. “Otherwise, you throw the whole budget off gear. We’ll be back to square one—the same place Ghanaians were, for which reason they called for a change of captain.”
While acknowledging the critical role of nurses, Mr. Kwakye Ofosu maintained that economic prudence must guide all decisions.
“We believe the conditions of service must be the subject of further engagement between government and the nurses, so that whatever outcomes are reached are satisfactory to both parties.”
Pressed by host Evans Mensah on why the current administration had not honoured the agreement signed by the previous government, Kwakye Ofosu responded:
“Government is a continuum, yes. But there’s a reason why governments change. Governance must be conducted responsibly. If you identify a difficulty arising from a previous government’s action, you have a responsibility to take corrective measures.”
He cited unbudgeted expenditures as one of the causes of Ghana’s recent economic challenges.
“One of the reasons we got to a point where hardships became pervasive was due to fiscal slippages, mostly from unbudgeted spending.”
According to him, the Finance Ministry estimates the cost of fully implementing the nurses’ revised conditions of service at GH¢2 billion annually, though some projections suggest it could be higher.
He questioned whether such a financial commitment could be sustained without jeopardising the needs of other public sector workers.
“There are other categories of public sector workers who also have needs that government must meet. These are considerations that were factored into the equation.”
Responding to a question on why the agreement, which was included in the handing-over notes, was not implemented, Kwakye Ofosu said:
“You don’t put something in a budget merely because it was in a transition document. There were many things the previous government was doing that we have not continued because we determined they would be more harmful than helpful.”
As the strike continues, Mr. Kwakye Ofosu said the government is taking steps to minimise its impact. He revealed that alternative healthcare facilities—public, private, and institutional—have been identified where nurses are not participating in the industrial action.
“The duty of government is to direct patients to those facilities so that they don’t suffer unduly, even as we take urgent steps to address this.”
He reiterated government’s commitment to dialogue.
“We still retain hope that they [the nurses] will return to the table. It is regrettable that they had to resort to industrial action.”
Despite the ongoing impasse, Mr. Kwakye Ofosu insisted that the government cannot act unilaterally.
“We understand that we must engage our social partners, and in this instance, that means the nurses.”
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