Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has announced that the outstanding nursing trainee allowance for 2024 will be released by the government by Thursday, May 16, 2024. 

“I am assuring our trainees that come this Thursday the Controller and Accountant General shall transfer funds (177 million) to the Ministry of Finance for onward crediting of the trainee allowances accounts. So, hopefully by next week the ‘Alawa’ will drop”.  

Dr Bawumia made the announcement at the launch of the International Nurses Day, organised by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) in Accra on Tuesday, 

The day was marked on the theme: “Our Nurses and Midwives, Our Future: The Economic Power of Care”. 

The Vice President expressed his commitment to carrying on Presidents John Agyekum Kufour and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s legacies by ensuring the continuation of the nurses’ and teacher trainees’ allowances, adding that, despite occasional delays, he would make sure that payment was made to support the trainees. 

He said that steps were being taken to reduce the backlog of unemployed Nurses and Midwives, notably the 2020 and 2021 batches, as soon as possible. 

“As the Vice President, I am dedicated to supporting the work of our nurses and midwives especially with the coming onstream of the Agenda 111 state-of-the-art facilities.  

Dr. Bawumia acknowledged that nurses and midwives are more than just healthcare providers, stating that “they are highly skilled professionals who provide evidence-based care to patients and families, hence their expertise, empathy, and dedication helped enhance health outcomes, lower healthcare expenses, and improve the overall well-being of individuals and communities.” 

Mrs Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, President of the GRNMA, emphasized the urgent need for the government to address the challenges facing nurses and midwives in the country, which continue to affect the healthcare system. 

She said resolving issues such as better conditions of service for improved livelihood and payment of allowances, vehicle tax waivers among others would restrict the migration of professionals, which had led to significant burden and burnout on available ones. 

Mrs Ofori-Ampofo noted that nurses and midwives were the single largest health workforce in Ghana, accounting for as much as 70 per cent of the total health workforce and contributing significantly to healthcare delivery and the Ghanaian economy; therefore, investing in them was necessary to ensure their physical, mental, and financial well-being. 

She also asked the government to make a degree a prerequisite for entering the nursing profession by converting all nursing and midwifery training institutes in the country into degree-granting institutions, to enhance the nursing and midwifery workforce. 

“The GRNMA has consistently advocated for this, and it is promised on the need for Ghana to have highly skilled Nurses and Midwives taking care of the Ghanaian population and also for the country to be better placed to export them for returns,” she stated. 

Professor Stella Appiah, Associate Professor of Nursing Administration at Valley View University, explained that investing in the nursing profession has become essential because nurses provide crucial and person-centred care that keeps communities healthy. 

“The World Health Organisation (WHO) has indicated that for countries to attain sustainable Development Goals three, on health and wellbeing, it is estimated that an additional nine million nurses and midwives are required by the year 2030,” she stated. 

Prof Appiah noted that investing in nurses and midwives would contribute to the country’s healthcare system while also ensuring a healthy and productive workforce. 

International Nurses Day was established in 1965 by the International Council of Nurses and is observed annually on May 12 in recognition of nurses and midwives’ contributions to society.