About five rotational nurses and midwives in Ghana have died, while six others are critically ill in various hospitals due to financial hardship arising from unpaid service allowances.
The deceased reportedly include four females and one male.
President of the Rotational Nurses and Midwives Association, Ebenezer Boateng, disclosed the situation in an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, amid ongoing frustration over delays in the disbursement of allowances by the Ministries of Health and Finance.
According to him, the affected personnel worked diligently for almost a year without financial clearance.
He explained that the deceased suffered from chronic conditions requiring regular medication but could not afford treatment, with the cheapest drugs costing about GH₵500 weekly.
“About a month ago, a colleague passed away in the Western Region, while the most recent death occurred two weeks ago in Sandema. One of our members in the Ashanti Region had a spinal injury after an accident on an aboboyaa while on his way to work,” Mr. Boateng narrated.
He also revealed that another nurse currently at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital needs urgent surgery costing GH₵15,000, but lacks the funds.
Expressing deep frustration, Mr. Boateng lamented that some of the deceased served for over 10 months without receiving a single cedi from the government.
He reiterated the Association’s demands for immediate financial clearance, timely allowance payments, prompt postings after rotations, and compensation for the bereaved families.
Meanwhile, the Association has issued a 14-working-day ultimatum to the Ministries of Health and Finance to resolve the matter or face a nationwide strike.
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