A nurse at the Ga East Municipal Hospital, Priscillia Akosua Danso, has called for an increase in nurses’ salaries, emphasising the urgent need for better compensation to reflect their vital role in healthcare delivery.

Mrs Danso expressed her concerns regarding the remuneration of nurses and midwives during a discussion on Joy Prime’s Morning Show, held in commemoration of May Day 2025.

“I think there should be a salary increment. The real issue is the inadequacy of our current pay,” she told host Nathaniel Attoh.

Highlighting the financial strain faced by healthcare professionals, she explained that essential expenses such as transportation and utilities consume a significant portion of their salaries, leaving little to sustain them.

She advocated for improved incentive packages, including support for accommodation and access to loans, to enhance the quality of life for nurses and midwives across the country.

“They should provide accommodation for nurses. At the very least, nurses should enjoy subsidised or free housing, or have the cost gradually deducted from their salaries,” she proposed.

Mrs Danso also called for free healthcare for nurses, questioning the logic behind health professionals being required to pay for services rendered at their own workplaces.

While acknowledging that some institutions partially subsidise medical bills for staff, she pointed out that such benefits are not widespread and called for their institutionalisation across the healthcare sector.

She argued that such interventions would serve as powerful incentives, boosting morale and motivating healthcare workers to perform their duties more effectively.

“Something must be done about the salary so that, at the very least, we can work with greater commitment and satisfaction,” she appealed.

In addition to better pay and benefits, Mrs Danso urged the government to bolster recruitment efforts across health facilities nationwide. She noted that the high patient-to-staff ratio continues to place excessive strain on existing personnel.