The Ministry of Health in July 2016, announced it was going to pay trainees nurses a decreased allowance as a stopgap measure, preceding the introduction of the Students Loan Scheme in the various Nursing Training Colleges.

[contextly_sidebar id=”T224iYUZEk8Hym6Q6fO0niKF7CIsLcN2″]A statement from the Ministry of Health outlined that “the untaxed amount is One Hundred and Fifty Ghana Cedis (GHC150.00) per student for three months, making a total amount of Four Hundred and Fifty Ghana Cedis (GHC450.00) per student.”

The Ministry also indicated that, the payment of these allowances is to “serve as a bridging mechanism pending the amendment of the Students Loan Trust Act, to enable Students in Non tertiary Health Training Institutions access Loans.”

The initial announcement to scrap the allowances, led to agitations against the government despite its explanation that the decision was to ensure more funds for improving nursing education, and to remove the restrictions on admission to the various training institutions.

Government’s decision to pay the current allowances has largely been viewed as a ploy to woo voters ahead of the elections.

But speaking at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation’s presidential encounter series on, President Mahama refuted claims of a contradiction, explaining that while the government worked towards the law to allow the migration of trainee nurses onto the Students’ Loan Trust Fund, there was a need to keep paying the allowance.

Find below the full statement

GOVERNMENT HAS STARTED PAYMENT OF THE ABATED NURSES TRAINEE ALLOWANCES

The Ministry of Health on July 21, 2016 announced government’s decision to pay an abated Nurses Trainee Allowance as a stopgap measure to the introduction of Students Loan Scheme in the various Nursing Training Colleges.

The Nursing Colleges have begun payment of these allowances through the School’s Finance Offices due to the locations of the schools and the amount involved.

The untaxed amount is One Hundred and Fifty Ghana Cedis (GHC150.00) per student for three months making a total amount of Four Hundred and Fifty Ghana Cedis (GHC450.00) per student.

This was a recommendation by the Technical Committee set up by the HE President to review the Nursing Trainee Allowance Policy. The payment as mentioned earlier is to serve as a bridging mechanism pending the amendment of the Students Loan Trust Act, to enable Students in Non tertiary Health Training Institutions access Loans.

All accountants are advised to pay the amount in full without any deductions. Any person found doing otherwise will be dealt with.

The Ministry of Health will continue to seek the outmost interest of our trainee nurses.

TONY GOODMAN, HEAD, PUBLIC RELATIONS

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Gov’t begins paying trainee nurses’ temporary allowances appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The demonstration was also to advocate for the employment for all qualified nurses and midwives as the aggrieved nurses complained that the government has failed to create job opportunities for them.

The protesting nurses and midwives trainees said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government risked losing their votes if it did not show any commitment to addressing the pertinent issues affecting them.

The nurses who had tied red bands on their wrists, heads, some around their arms marched through the streets of the city chanting war songs.

They marched from the Obra spot at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle through some principal streets of Accra and converged on the Hearts Park to present their petition to government.

Some of them were holding placards with inscriptions such as; “An hungry nurse will snatch Mahama from his wife”, “No allawa, no vote”, “Mr. President, just the allawa” and “Sir Mahama, where is our paper, we deserve better”.

One protesting trainees said to Citi News, “our allowances have been seized by the government. the government has refused to give us our allowances which I will say is our right. We need to get these allowances.”

“Me and my colleagues, we have decided that in the 2016 elections, we are not going to vote. It is very painful, for us to work without getting anything,” another student lamented.

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By: Philip Nii  Lartey/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post ‘No allowance, no vote’ – Trainee nurses, midwives appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.