The leadership of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has strongly condemned the reported assault of a senior staff midwife by relatives of a patient at the Community 22 Polyclinic, describing the incident as a disturbing attack on a health professional carrying out her official duties.
According to the association, the incident raises renewed concerns about the safety of healthcare workers in Ghanaian health facilities, where rising cases of violence and aggression against staff continue to be reported.
The GRNMA is calling for urgent intervention from authorities, including swift investigations and prosecution of those involved in the attack. It has urged the Ghana Police Service to treat the matter with seriousness and ensure that perpetrators are identified, arrested and brought to justice without delay.
The association stressed that healthcare facilities must remain safe spaces for both patients and professionals, adding that no form of violence, intimidation or harassment should be tolerated within such environments.
Beyond the immediate incident, the GRNMA has renewed its call for the Government of Ghana to ratify and implement International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 190 on violence and harassment in the world of work.
It argues that the convention provides a comprehensive framework for preventing workplace violence, particularly in high-risk environments such as hospitals and clinics, and would strengthen protections for health workers nationwide.
The association is also urging stakeholders, including Parliament, the Ministry of Health, employers and labour organisations, to accelerate efforts toward adopting the international standard.
Meanwhile, GRNMA has appealed to members of the public to use proper complaint channels to address grievances rather than resorting to violence, emphasising that nurses and midwives work under challenging conditions to provide essential care.
It further called on hospital management to strengthen security measures within health facilities, including improved access control, enhanced security presence, surveillance systems and rapid response protocols to deal with emergencies involving staff safety.
The association also urged health sector agencies such as the Ghana Health Service and the Christian Health Association of Ghana to prioritise the protection of healthcare workers by investing in security infrastructure and establishing strong reporting and support systems for victims of workplace violence.
GRNMA cautioned that the rising trend of attacks on healthcare workers poses a threat to service delivery and could undermine the quality of care if not addressed decisively.
It assured nurses and midwives across the country of its commitment to pursuing justice in the case and advocating for stronger protections to safeguard their dignity, safety and professional rights.
The association concluded that an attack on one nurse or midwife is an attack on the entire profession, urging unity among health workers as efforts continue to address the situation.
