The President of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), Madam Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, has asked the government to turn the negative narrative of nurses leaving the country to seek greener pastures abroad into a positive one. 

She advised the government to enter into bilateral agreement with countries recruiting the nurses to earn foreign exchange.  

She was speaking at the 2023 Military Nightingales’ Week Celebration at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra.  

Madam Ofori-Ampofo said the development was impacting negatively on the labour force of the health sector and that it would be unfortunate for the country to also lose out on the financial gains. 

She noted that the Philippians had taken advantage of a similar predicament. 

Madam Ofori-Ampofo said the Philippines made about $54 billion every year from exporting nurses and midwives.   

She said what Ghana needed was to amend the training module for nurses and midwives.

  “We need to change our training model. We need to do our homework as a country. Let us change the training module of our nursing and midwifery profession to the degree level.  

“Nobody wants an auxiliary nurse to come and work in their high-income earning country. That is a fact. They will not come and recruit our community nurses, who are certificate holders. They want the degree holders who have add on specialties and have working experience. That is the target,” she said.  

The Director, Nursing, Ghana Armed Forces Medical Service, Col. Rex Adzagba, said the government ought to put measures in place to retain health workers.  

Nightingale Week Celebration is marked by nurses and midwives globally to commemorate the international nurses’ week, which is celebrated globally in honour of Florence Nightingale, the mother of modern nursing.  

Nurses and midwives are expected to use the occasion to reflect and take stock of their past activities, evaluate them, and adjust for the future.  

Some senior and junior officers were given awards to mark the celebration.