The Ghana Nurses-Midwives Trainees Association (GNMTA), is unhappy about the exclusion of final year Nursing Assistant Clinical (NAC) and Nurse Assistant Preventive (NAP) students from the ongoing allowance registration process, essentially, disqualifying these categories of students from the receipt of any allowance.
In a Citi News interview, the Greater Accra Zonal President, Biney Ibrahim, said the situation contradicts government’s promise to pay all trainee nurses following the reintroduction of the allowance scheme.
“The president promised that if we vote him into office, he is going to reinstate the scrapped allowance… This year they promised that by September, they are going to pay all students currently on campus. Be it fresh students or continuing students. ”
However, “registration started on Monday so that students’ data could be picked for the allowance payment to commence, but the information reaching us from various schools is that, final year NAC and NAP students have been denied registration. Meanwhile, at the stakeholders meeting…. the conclusion was that any student who would be in school would receive their allowance by September,” he said.
Background
In 2014, the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) scrapped the allowances for trainee nurses and midwives across the country. The then government explained that the removal of the allowance was to allow it to admit more students.
The NDC government insisted the continuous payment of the allowances was a threat to Ghana’s economy.
‘We’ll restore nursing and teacher trainees’ allowances’
The then opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) however promised to fully restore the scrapped allowances for trainee nurses as well as teachers, if voted into office.
Below is the statement released by the GNMTA:
PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
25/09/2017
GNMTA’S DISPLEASURE ABOUT THE EXCLUSION OF FINAL YEAR NAC AND NAP TRAINEE NURSES IN THE ON GOING ALLOWANCE REGISTRATION PROCESS
It has come to the sad notice of the National Executive Board NEB of Ghana Nurse – Midwife Trainees’ Association that, final year students of NAC and NAP who are yet to complete their mandatory training in November this year are being denied the opportunity to partake in the ongoing allowance registration processes.
GNMTA will like to send its serious displeasure to government and the various stakeholders for going contrary to the agreement reached at the forum held of which GNMTA was present.
We therefore see the current development very strange and hence call on government to honour the agreement reached at that meeting and direct all principals to as a matter of urgency include these trainee nurses in the allowance registration process so that they can also be beneficiaries as agreed upon at the trainee allowance policy implementation forum at the MOH on 9th August, 2017 which included the following; GNMTA, COHHETI, NAHSAG, NUGS, parents group and representatives of the ministry of health.
Furthermore, GNMTA humbly prays the high office of H.E. the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo to order those who are going contrary to what we believe is happening at his blind sight to do the ‘right thing’.
We again admonish the affected NAC and NAP to be calm whiles measures are taken to resolve the current Impasse.
GNMTA will continue to do all for the health of all.
Thank you.
SIGNED;
NATIONAL PRESIDENT
Batiah Semi-Ulah Santi
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By: Marie-Franz Fordjoe/citifmonline.com/Ghana