The nurses, numbering about two hundred besieged the Health Ministry to demand posting, and threatened to pass the night there if their concerns were not addressed.

They claimed that several appeals to the Ministry for employment after they completed school in 2016, had not yielded results.

[contextly_sidebar id=”kRbPpn1timPp0cT8Rukw0K81kM1sx7cP”]The Accra Regional Operations Officer of the Ghana Police Service, Chief Superintendent Kwesi Fori, who was at the scene, said they will ensure the students do not return.

“I have spoken to them about the Public Order law. I have spoken to them that in a democracy you cannot misconduct yourself – that borders on public decency. The Police are taking this decision within the ambit of the law so they should go home and use proper procedural means to address their situation.

“We cannot allow them to sleep here and if they engage in acts of lawlessness, we will use every appropriate means within democratic policing to get them out of here.”

A graduate nurse who did not take this directive lightly accused the Police and the Health Minister of being insensitive to their plight.

“The Police sacked us but they did not put measures in place to tell the Minister to attend to us,” he complained.

In response to the Nurses’ demands, a Deputy Minister of Health, Tina Mensah, attributed government’s inability to post them to inadequate funds.

She indicated that the nurses will be posted as soon as they get clearance from the Finance Ministry.

“We never had the clearance. When there is clearance in payment then you have to introduce the people, alert them and push them to do whatever they have to do. When the money is available you can clear them.”

Bonded nurses and midwives protest

Last week, another group of bonded unemployed nurses and midwives staged a protest at the Ministry of Health to demand posting.

They said they had been idling at home for the past two years after successfully leaving school and completing their mandatory national service.

Picketing at the Health Ministry to demand employment has become a common phenomenon for various health professionals in the country especially in the last three (3) years.

The government has consistently given assurances that it will address their demands, but that has often happened after series of protests.

Late in 2017, a group of unemployed nurses spent two days at the Ministry demanding their posting, and had their issues resolved after that.

This appears to have set a precedent that has seen many other unemployed nurses picket at the Ministry’s premises.

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By: Marian Ansah & Kojo Agyeman/citifmonline.com

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The Ghana Nurses and Midwives Trainees Association confirmed to Citi News that a number of the trainees had received the SMS alerts on their phones confirming payment.

“Trainee Nurses have started receiving messages indicating that November and December allowances have been paid so we are grateful to the President and the Ministry of Health for their efforts in addressing our concerns,” the Public Relations Officer for the Association, Akugri Avokbil Gadafi said.

Some of the trainees had complained to Citi News that they had not received a pesewa since the official restoration of the allowances.

The status of such trainees remains unclear as Mr. Gadafi said, “for now, those who did not receive a pesewa [from Septmeber], actually we have not confirmed as to whether they have received from September or that of October.”

Delays must end

Mr. Gadafi said his outfit couldn’t “be sure whether after this issue, the issue of delays will be addressed” but he urged the Government to make sure the delays in payment do not recur.

“We have not faced much frustration but the issue is that the delay in payment is something that has been occurring since the restoration so we are hoping that the Ministry should try their best, as they have addressed our concerns and it [the delays] shouldn’t repeat itself,” he added.

The issue of allowance for trainee nurses became a major campaign point in the 2016 elections after the New Patriotic Party promised to restore the payments which were scrapped by the Mahama government.

The government restored the allowances of GH¢400, effective September 2017 with an elaborate ceremony to the joy of the trainee nurses who had complained about the hardships they faced without those funds.

President Akufo-Addo said an amount GHc232 million had been allocated for the stipend, with the health trainees set to receive GHc 400 each month.

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

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The issue of allowance for trainee nurses became a major campaign point in the 2016 elections after the New Patriotic Party (NPP) promised to restore the payments which were scrapped by the Mahama government.

[contextly_sidebar id=”bRdTikKJaWFQ3CkKC5kKLGhSUSHzB5MQ”]The government restored the allowances of GH¢400, effective September 2017, to the joy of the trainee nurses who had complained about the hardships they faced without those funds.

However, some of the trainees have told Citi News that they have not received a pesewa since the announcement, adding that several calls to responsible authorities to have the monies released have proved futile.

The Public Relations Officer for the Ghana Nurses and Midwives Trainees Association, Akugri Gadafi, in a Citi News interview said the delayed release of the allowances is leading to increased frustration among the students.

“It has affected us in so many ways because these allowances were restored purposely to support us financially as we undergo our training. And as it was launched by the President, all parents are aware that we now receive GHc400 as allowances. In actual fact, most of us have not received our allowances since September 2017,” Gadafi said.

According to him, they have complained to the Health Ministry on several occasions “and they keep on giving us assurances but it has gotten to a point that we no longer don’t know what to do.”

“They have given us another assurance that they have now compiled the data and we are all hoping that before this month of January ends, trainee nurses will receive their monies and when it fails, we as the national executive board will decide the next line of action,” he added.

The Public Relations Officer of the Health Ministry, Robert Cudjoe in response to these concerns, said government will soon release funds for payment of the allowances.

He explained that the payment had delayed due to challenges with the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).

He assured the nurses that the outstanding payments will be made by the end of this week.

“We are expecting Controller and Accountant General’s Department to release the November and December allowances, but this time around there is this thing called GIFMIS platform which all institutions are supposed to get their releases from. Unless the money has been released through the platform, there is no way you can get money to spend so that is a contributory factory. We are hoping that by close of this week, they should see their monies sitting in their accounts.”

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The Akufo-Addo government in 2017 restored the allowances to the trainee nurses and midwives, which was scrapped by the previous government with an assurance that each student was to receive GHc400 each month.

But some of the trainees have told Citi News that they have not received a penny since the allowances were restored, adding that several calls to Ministry to have the grants released have proved futile.

[contextly_sidebar id=”Q5SSFXfnxxPF3S0T2uh4CGitrsA3f2ii”]The payment of the allowances became a major campaign issue in the 2016 elections, after it was scrapped by the Mahama government.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) party promised to restore it.

However, the National Public Relations Officer for the Ghana Nurses and Midwives Trainees Association, Akugri Gadafi, in a Citi News interview said they are getting frustrated over the delayed release of the allowances.

“It has affected us in so many ways because these allowances were restored purposely to support us financially as we undergo our training. And as it was launched by the President, all parents are aware that we now receive GHc400 as allowances. In actual fact, most of us have not received our allowances since September 2017,” Gadafi said.

According to him, they have complained to the Health Ministry on several occasions “and they keep on giving us assurances but it has gotten to a point that we no longer don’t know what to do.”

“They have given us another assurance that they have now compiled the data and we are all hoping that before this month of January ends, trainee nurses will receive their monies and when it fails, we as the national executive board will decide the next line of action,” he added.

GHc232m allocated for allowances 

President Nana Akufo-Addo while re-launching the scrapped allowance in 2017, said an amount GHc232 million had been allocated for the stipend.

“Government will be spending a total of GH¢232,000,000 for this academic year. The E-Zwich platform will be used to effect payment, as it will ensure convenience, prompt payment, and accountability,” he said.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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Hundreds of the trainees held a procession on some principal streets of Bolgatanga with placards conveying their gratitude.

Speaking to Citi News, the trainee nurses said the restoration of their allowances is helping them to pay their schools fees and purchase learning materials for their studies.

One of the nursing students said “We nursing trainees in the Upper East Region are saying thank you to President Akufo-Addo for wiping our tears. We have been crying for this allowance because our school fees is very huge and this allowance will help us a lot.”

“The restoration of our allowance is very helpful because it wasn’t easy coping in school without the allowances, but now that the allowance has been restored, it is going to help us in our academics because we will use it to buy handouts and pay fees ” another student also stated.

“There is so much expenses in the nursing training colleges and the restoration of the allowance will help us pay practical apparatus, pay fees and handout”.

Mr. Filson Awankua, a potential contestant of the NPP Upper East Regional chairman position who joined the trainee nurses throughout the exercise, said the restoration of the allowances by President Nana Addo was apt.

Mr. Awankua explained that, the restoration has significantly reduced the burden of trainees and their parents particularly in the tree regions of the North in the payments of high fees charged at the nursing institutions.

“I am happy to join these trainee nurses to thank President Nana Addo for the restoration of their allowance. For those who said it wasn’t possible to restore these allowances, today they have been exposed because the president kept to his words and restoration of nursing and teacher training allowances have become a reality.”

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By: Frederick Awuni.citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The Health Minister, who supervised the much-criticized ceremony to officially announce the restoration of the allowance, said the allowances will ease financial burden on them and their families.

At a ceremony to celebrate the restoration of the allowance, the nurses who were introduced to the gathering to testify receipt of their allowances for the month, said they were overwhelmed with joy.

“We thank the President for giving us our allowance. We were hoping, but now we have it,” one of the trainee nurses said.

“I want to say thank you to His Excellency. This is going to lessen the financial burden on our parents, and it’s going to help in our education as well,” another said.

The previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, scrapped the GHC 450 per quarter allowance for trainee nurses in 2013.

It explained that it canceled the regular payments because it prevented the state from investing in infrastructure to admit more students.

President Akufo-Addo, however after winning the December 2016 elections, gave assurances that government would restore the allowances.

Addressing over 1,000 trainee nurses, traditional leaders and some state officials at the launch of the restoration of the allowance, President Akufo-Addo said a total of GHC232 million had been committed by the government for this academic year’s payment.

“For the 2017/2018 academic year, effective September 2017, 58,000 health trainees comprising nurses and midwives, will be paid GH¢400 per person for each of the 10 months of the academic year. This means the government will be spending a total of GH¢ 232 million for this academic year.”

He further gave assurances that the government will be able to sustain the programme.

“To the professional cynics and skeptics, those who have made an industry out of constantly asking if this policy is sustainable, I wish to assure them that with the proper management of public finances, the nation’s budget can accommodate such an amount,” Akufo-Addo said.

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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

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According to him, the reasons adduced by government for the re-introduction are wrong.

The Akufo-Addo government on Wednesday announced the re-introduction of the quota system which was scrapped by the Mahama government together with the trainee allowances.

[contextly_sidebar id=”ZZeqkKtpii1eGUHQ64HQCNbalPGyK8mR”]According to government the quota system will help improve the quality of nurses churned out from the various training institutions in the country to meet the demands of the health sector, thus reducing unemployment.

But George Loh insisted that re-introducing the quota system is not the panacea for improving quality of nurses adding that “give people the opportunity to school.”

“I think that we are getting it all wrong in terms of policy. I thought that the government will say that let’s keep the numbers but improve quality but even as we go ahead we ensure that we are expanding facilities and we are ensuring that all facilities get the standard that will produce nurses. Let’s look at these things well when we talk about quality when you don’t have money to pay,” he said on The Big Issue on Saturday.

Nursing trainee quota system will create difficulties – Alex Segbefia

A former Health Minister, Alex Sebgefia has said the policy will create difficulties for government.

“I think that they [NPP government] are creating difficulties for themselves because the allowance is not something that should be brought back at this stage,” he said on Eyewitness News last Wednesday.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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This follows a directive from the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) to the 75 accredited institutions training nurses in Ghana, including private ones, to admit students in accordance with an earlier discussion.

The directive was contained in a circular issued by the council and signed by its Registrar, Mr Felix Nyante.

“The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana would like to respectfully inform you of the admission quota for the 2017 admissions to nursing and midwifery training institutions. This follows discussions held in Koforidua on June 27, 2017 on the subject matter,” the document obtained by the Daily Graphic said.

Last year, 7,335 students were admitted to the various institutions, but the number will reduce to 5,737 when the directive is implemented.

The figures mean that last year’s admission figure has been reduced by almost 22 per cent.

Losses

Although quotas increase the admission spots generally for private nursing training institutions by 38 students — from 899 in the 2016/2017 academic year to 937 this academic year, a number of the institutions which admitted higher numbers of students have had their intake reduced.

For instance, the Pentecost University, which admitted 96 students last year, can only take 35; the Presbyterian University College in Asante Akyem, which enrolled 92 students last year, has been given 57 this year; the Garden City University from 59 to 35; the Central University from 68 to 56 and the Premier School of Nursing from 100 last year to 60 this year.

Gained

On the other hand, some of the private nursing training schools had the quota system offering them more students than they admitted last year.

Examples include Golden Sunbeam College of Science and Technology, from five last year to 22 this year; Bimaks College of Business and Health Sciences in Agona Swedru, 14 to 35; Narh Bita from eight to 35 for its degree programme and 44 to 58 for its diploma programme; 20 to 82 for Western Hills School of Nursing; West End University College, 29 to 59; Hopkins Health Training Institute, three to 18; Wisconsin International University College, 29 to 35, and Withrow College, four to 20.

Hardest hit

But the hardest hit by the reduction in admission figures are the public nursing training colleges and the universities offering nursing, with the cut in admission figures ranging from 10 to more than 100 in some schools.

Ntotrotroso College of Nursing has its last academic year admission figure of 235 cut to 82; Dunkwa-on-Offin Nursing and Midwifery Training College, 250 to 109; Ho Nursing Training College, 183 to 108; Korle Bu Nursing and Midwifery Training College, 245 to 153; Kwadaso Nursing Training College, 254 to 152; Tamale Nursing Training College, 210 to 111, and Keta Nursing and Midwifery Training College, 137 to 77.

Others are Cape Coast Nursing Training College, 229 to 91; the University of Cape Coast, 100 to 75;University for Development Studies,123 to 97, and University of Health and Allied Sciences, 125 to 80.

However, four of the colleges in Wa, Kwapong, Damongo and Zuarungu gained between two and 48 students on their last year admissions.

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Source: Graphic Online

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According to the group made up of over three thousand qualified nurses from accredited private Nursing training schools, government’s continuous preferential treatment defeats the constitutional provision of equal opportunity for all citizens.

[contextly_sidebar id=”GvqBxDhkX7G7ooqivQpDq6K1dH9V0t7o”]They argue that they are equally qualified to be recruited by the government to serve in various public health institutions.

Addressing the press on Monday, spokesperson for the group, Doreen Boateng, called on the government to reconsider its stance on the matter within five days or face their wrath.

“We paid our own tuition fees. So we should be the first to be on the list for government posting. We didn’t burden the state. The unwarranted loyalty of government to train nurses and to the neglect of all other suitable qualified nurses poses a threat to national security,” she said.

She further noted that, the policy not to bond privately trained nurses and their inability to immediately secure employment in private medical facilities is discriminatory.

“The consistent government mantra of bonding has risen to discriminate against us and that is not backed by any law in Ghana,” she added.

Various groups of trainee and trained nurses have in recent times protested against the government over  similar issues of delayed posting.

Some have had to picket at the Ministry of Health for nights before securing their posting.

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By: Anas Seidu/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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