The President of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), Perpetual Ofori Ampofo has expressed her concern over the staggering exodus of Ghanaian nurses and the impact it is having on the healthcare sector.

Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express, Madam Ampofo highlighted the significant investments made by the Ghanaian government and taxpayers in training healthcare professionals.

She pointed out that these professionals received highly subsidised education, with their training funded by the tax contributions of the Ghanaian populace. Therefore, the mass departure of trained nurses poses a substantial challenge to the nation.

“It is not the best that we have our professionals whom we have used the taxpayers' money to train, such that during their training, they did not pay full school fees; it was highly subsidised, and it was your tax and my tax that trained them and we can’t sit aloof and have them all leave,” she told Ayisha Ibrahim on Wednesday.

Read also: Government to halt exodus of health workers – Health Minister

In 2022 alone, approximately 4,000 nurses relocated to Western countries to render their services abroad.

It is on the back of such staggering numbers that the GRNMA President demands realistic solutions to the problem.

Another key concern Madam Ampofo raised was the involvement of recruitment agencies that actively seek out Ghanaian nurses and midwives.

She further accused the government of poaching these professionals under the guise of it being a personal decision.

Related: Exodus of nurses, other health professionals not affecting healthcare delivery – GHS

“But at the end of the day, we must look at it as a country and ask ourselves whether we will be able to achieve the specific targets of SDG 3. It looks like we will not be able to attain this by the year 2030 and the fact that you and I have taken the decision to live in Ghana, we deserve and every citizen deserves quality services including health, education, transport, and everything else and it is important that government takes these things seriously,” she said.

According to her, the situation is dire and has far-reaching consequences.

She intimated that the shortage of healthcare professionals not only affects the quality of health services in Ghana but also puts a strain on the overall development goals.

“It is important that we address the issues and begin to implement realistic solutions that will begin to attract and retain them in this country. We shouldn’t take it for granted because we train a lot of nurses hence when some are leaving it is okay.

“No, because the more they leave, it affects the healthcare system in terms of the quality and the safety of services that we can give to the Ghanaian people,” she explained.

The departure of nurses and other professionals, including teachers, is a critical issue that Madam Ampofo insists demands immediate attention from the government and relevant authorities.

Reasons for the departure include low salaries, poor infrastructure, delayed promotion, rising cost of living, and general economic hardship. Nonetheless, the GRNMA President is confident that a strong-willed and determined government can turn things around.