By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has cautioned against increasing figures of the nurse-to-patient ratio if the government does not revise the service conditions of its members.
Although Ghana’s nurse-to-patient ratio stands at one (1) nurse to 839 patients, exceeding the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended nurse-to-patient population ratio of one nurse to 1,000 population, the GRNMA fears there is a looming huge deficit in the health professionals if drastic measures are not taken immediately.
The Association explains the situation is a result of the increasing mass exodus of nurses and midwives from Ghana to seek higher income, better benefits, and compensation packages.
Speaking in an interview, the Assistant Ashanti Region Secretary for GRNMA, Mr. Ebenezer Acquah explained that “the trend at which the nurses are leaving for greener pastures abroad is very alarming, so it is about time the government does something about our condition of service else we all will leave the country. There will be empty hospitals”.
The Assistant Ashanti Region Secretary of GRNMA laments that in just the first quarter of 2022, over three thousand of its members have flown abroad to seek better working conditions and greener pastures because the situation in Ghana is very poor and nothing to write home about.
Mr. Acquah further explained that the number keeps surging as thousands of nurses keep trying their luck to leave the country for Europe and America.
“As it stands, salaries for nurses are very low. For the past two years, we haven’t adjusted our salaries meanwhile the cost of living is on the rise so somehow we the executives understand the frustrations of our members hence their resort to travel and work abroad instead of staying in Ghana and working under harsh conditions.”
He further called on the government to immediately address the issues of nurse’s service conditions to reverse the trend of a mass exodus to Europe and America for greener pastures else there will be empty hospitals in the next few years.