The Assistant National Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), has clarified the ongoing concerns surrounding health sector recruitment.

Philemon Gyapong emphasised that financial clearance is now the backbone of employment for nurses and midwives.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Monday, February 24, he stated, “If you don’t have financial clearance, it means you have not been budgeted for, and the government doesn’t have a provision for your salary.”

He explained that the recruitment process has evolved significantly from the past, where newly employed health workers could wait up to a year before being added to the payroll.

“That is what has changed from the previous recruitment process, where you go to work, and it takes a bit of time, like six months, one year, before they are put on a payroll.

"At the moment, you are given financial clearance. It means you have been budgeted for,” he elaborated.

Addressing recent concerns, Mr Gyapong confirmed that the Association is aware of financial clearance for 15,200 health professionals.

“The 15,200 which we are aware of have financial clearance. I don’t know of any outside recruitment. There is no recruitment outside of that that we are aware of,” he said.

When asked about the possibility of a strike, Mr Gyapong clarified that the Association’s earlier comments were meant as guidance, not a threat.

Read also: Dec. 7 termination: We’ll strike if newly recruited nurses are affected – GRNMA warns

“I think we cautioned the government on its directive—we were giving them advice, let me put it that way,” he said.

He expressed concern over the fate of nurses and midwives who have waited for years after training but risk being laid off if bureaucratic processes aren’t completed promptly.

“If nurses and midwives, who are also the youth of this country, who have stayed on for four to five years post-training, are laid off based on the fact that maybe their financial clearance process didn’t complete before a certain period, it will be very unfair to do that,” he emphasised.

Reassuring health workers, Mr Gyapong noted that the Ministry of Health has pledged to follow proper procedures.

“The ministry has made us aware that they are going to stick to the directives based on the emphasis they laid—those who went through due process and were given financial clearance are not supposed to go home,” he stated.