The Member of Parliament for Effiduase-Asokore, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie, has called on the Minister of Health to query the Ghana Health Service (GHS) over delays in the recruitment and payment of salaries for newly employed nurses and midwives.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen show, Dr. Afriyie argued that the Akufo-Addo government had already secured financial clearance and paid about 7,000 nurses and midwives by January 2025.
However, he said GHS delayed in employing the remaining health workers despite having clearance since June.
“By January 1st of this year, the Akufo-Addo government had paid about 7,000 nurses and midwives. It was the Ghana Health Service that delayed the hiring process.
“The Minister should query the Ghana Health Service because they had the clearance to hire these professionals since June, yet they were only employed in December. They should be held accountable for this delay,” he said.
His comments come after Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh attributed the delay in salary payments to the lack of financial clearance for the recruitment of about 13,500 nurses and midwives by the previous government, creating payroll challenges within the sector.
But Dr. Afriyie cautioned against politicizing the issue, insisting that technical lapses within the GHS contributed to the current delay.
“Financial clearance for state agencies’ recruitment expires, and in such cases, an extension is required. We shouldn’t always blame politicians for wanting votes; if recruitment were done after the elections, what interest would they have in it?
“It’s easy to cast blame on politicians, but we should also hold the technical staff accountable. They have Human Resources and a Director General who must explain to Ghanaians why there was a delay in recruitment. There is no political advantage in this situation; this is about effective governance,” he added.
Source: Farida Seidu| Adomonline
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