Ghanain nurses are justified in their demands for better conditions of serevice, says their leadership. They argue that better conditions for nurses would enable them to effectively cater for the sick. These remarks were made at a conference of the Ghana Registered Nurses’ Association. THE 23rd Annual and 11th Biennal National Delegates Conference of the Ghana Registered Nurses' Association (GRNA) opened in Accra yesterday. The conference which brought together professional nurses from across the country is on the theme: "The Ghanaian Nurse, upholding the vision of quality care beyond the Golden Jubilee". Alice Darkoa Asare-Allotey, president of GRNA, commended the Council of the Association and all Regional Executives and members for cooperating with her to have a smooth term of office. She said that the GRNA which was formed 47 years ago aims at promoting a better understanding of nurses' role in health delivery and to foster the dignity of the profession. She said that instead of the 40,000 nurses needed to effectively man the country's hospitals only 13,381 are available. She said there was the need therefore to close the gap since numbers really count in terms of quality care. Ms Asare-Allotey said, 750 nurses countrywide have been trained in National Health Insurance and over 1,000 nurses have also been taken through job stress and time management, ethics of nursing, emergency preparedness and health and safety needs of the nurse. She disclosed that the GRNA is building networks and alliances with employers and other labour partners, saying that at present, there is an increasing relationship between the GRNA and the Ministry of Health and other health service providers. She said nurses’ and health workers’ demand for better conditions of services almost every year have been misconstrued as acts of sabotage against the government and a lack of feeling for the Sick and dying - a position that is gravely at variance with the values of the profession. She said, "Our demands are legitimate and should be supported by the public because better conditions of service for nurses put them in a better stead to effectively cater for the sick. In his presentation, the Minister of Health, Major (rtd) Courage E.K. Quashigah said, the public deserves quality nursing and care and believed that nurses by virtue of their profession will continue to play that important and critical role in health care delivery in the country. Source: Ghanaian Times