By: Belinda Nketia
Jefferson Asare, the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), has delivered a stirring plea for understanding and respect for the nursing profession in the midst of ongoing tensions over working conditions and essential supplies.
Speaking on the GTV Breakfast Show on June 11, 2025, he condemned what he described as misinformation and superficial commentary on social media and in traditional media outlets that downplay nurses’ demands. “As a passionate young Ghanaian nurse, I’m very sad, and I’m very troubled when we allow the social space and the traditional media, who do not have full information, to spell out anything and make it look like nurses do not deserve what they are requesting,” he stated.
Jefferson noted that these commentators may win the social media war, but the real crisis isn’t happening online; they are happening in the hospitals and clinics across the country, where he said patients are not getting the care they need because nurses lack proper resources.
“We are not asking for luxury,” he stressed. “We need protection. We need protective clothing. We need things that will make our work comfortable, a bit of dignity. Is this too hard to ask?” he questioned.
Jefferson Asare also pointed out that nursing extends beyond what the public sees in outpatient departments and further highlighted the needs of nurses working in high-dependency units who require substantial equipment and resources to do their jobs safely.
On the legal front, he took issue with the Labour Commission’s directive ordering nurses to return to work and labeling their strike as illegal. Jefferson Asare argued that the Labour Act requires the Commission to address the grievances of essential workers within three days of notification, a responsibility he said had been neglected.
“You always want to run at the back of legality to coerce people to work,” he remarked. “Our work is very mental, emotional, and psychological. So you can force the nurse to go there, but you can’t force the nurse to practice,” he concluded.
The nurses and midwives, under the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), have been on strike since Monday, June 9, 2025, demanding full implementation of their 2024 collective agreement. The walkout has left outpatient departments empty and critical services such as emergency and antenatal care halted.
Despite a court injunction against the strike, the GRNMA has continued its protest and maintained that it is standing firm in its call for the government to honor the agreed conditions without delay.
