The nationwide strike by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), has plunged emergency services at major government hospitals into disarray, leaving patients stranded and healthcare delivery severely disrupted.

On the second day of the industrial action, facilities such as the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital) witnessed deserted outpatient departments (OPDs) and emergency wards. Patients arriving for urgent care find themselves without assistance, as the absence of nurses has brought routine operations to a standstill.

Speaking to JoyNews, the GRNMA General Secretary, David Tenkorang, issued a clear call for the government to urgently approve and implement the conditions of service that have already been negotiated and signed. He warned that the strike would continue until decisive action is taken.

“It’s time the government heeds the call,” Mr Tenkorang said. “This strike is deeply regrettable and painful, but necessary. Nurses and midwives have endured neglect for far too long. The conditions of service have been negotiated, signed, and sealed. What remains is for the government to approve and implement them. We will not return to the negotiating table — that chapter is closed.”

He highlighted distressing cases that reveal the human cost of the strike. In Wa, a pregnant woman bitten by a snake was denied emergency care and sent away untreated. At the Pampaso Children’s Hospital in the Ashanti Region, another pregnant woman, six months pregnant and suffering severe burns, was also turned away.

“These are just a few examples,” he explained. “Countless others suffer daily. It breaks our hearts to witness this. But if we fail to stand firm now, nurses and midwives will continue to be overlooked and undervalued.”

Meanwhile, the National Labour Commission (NLC) declared the strike illegal, accusing the GRNMA of boycotting a meeting to address the dispute. Mr Tenkorang responded by accusing the NLC of violating labour laws by failing to act within the legally required time-frame.

“We notified the NLC on 28th May. Under Section 162 of the Labour Act, the Commission has three days to initiate compulsory arbitration in disputes involving essential services. Instead, they only sent an invitation for a meeting on 4th June, well beyond the deadline. He who comes to equity must come with clean hands, and the NLC clearly failed in its duties.”

Mr Tenkorang also condemned the ongoing inequality facing nurses and midwives, who remain excluded from the improved conditions of service enjoyed by other healthcare professionals.

“Every other health worker benefits from these conditions or better. Nurses and midwives are the fulcrum of the health system. If we are truly essential, then our welfare must be treated as such.”

While the association is willing to discuss the details of implementation, Mr Tenkorang emphasised that the core agreement is not open to renegotiation.

“We are willing to return to work once the Minister of Finance approves the conditions of service that have already been negotiated. We understand that implementation may bring challenges, and we are prepared to sit down and work through the nuances of how to put the agreement into practice. But the conditions themselves have been finalised, signed, and sealed.”

He expressed sympathy for the suffering public but stressed the necessity of the strike.

“We are deeply troubled by the pain endured by Ghanaians. Seeing pregnant women crying outside hospitals is unbearable. But this sacrifice is necessary to safeguard the dignity and welfare of nurses and midwives. We trust the employer will ultimately heed our demands,” he said.

As the strike continues, pressure mounts on the government to resolve the impasse and restore essential health services before more lives are lost.