Increase salaries; improve condition of service if you don’t want brain drain – Nurses tell gov’t

Nurses have told the government to improve on the conditions of service in the country in order to reduce the brain drain in the health sector.

President of Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), Madam Perpetual Ofori Ampofo asked the government to ay allowance pf health workers and also increase salaries as away of retaining the workers in the country.

“The truth of the matter is that, migration is a right, a person can move anywhere to go and work. So let’s increase salaries, improve conditions of work and let’s provide the requisite allowances people need to be comfortable to work here” she said on the Sunrise how with Alfred Ocansey.

Madam Ofori Ampofo expressed worry that some of the unemployed nursing graduates have been waiting for two years for their postings.  “And even as we talked about financial clearance, we still have a lot of qualified nurses and midwives who are waiting to be posted. There have been a lot of agitations recently by the trained professionals who are yet to be given employment”

“Meanwhile, Ghanaian nurses and midwives are well sought after in western countries because of their quality. So, if I get up tomorrow and I make an informed decision that I want to travel abroad and work, nothing should stand in my way as an individual. But as a nation we should put in the necessary plans to ensure that even if people are moving out to work elsewhere, we should still have enough of the work force remain in Ghana to provide nursing and midwifery services for the good people of Ghana,” she said.

Her comments come at a time the Government of Ghana has appealed to nurses and other health professionals not to leave Ghana to other countries to seek greener pastures.

Presidential Advisor on Health, Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare told the nurses that Ghanaians were looking up to them to meet their health needs in the country hence they should stay.

Dr Nsiah-Asare’s comments also followed concerns raised by the General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Dr Titus Beyuo to the effect that medical doctors and nurses are leaving the country in droves.

Dr Beyuo said brain drain has returned to the medical profession in Ghana.

Speaking on the New Day show on TV3 Wednesday May 11, Dr Beyuo said “…as we speak, doctors, nurses are leaving this country in droves, brain drain has returned in full swing.

“I know that because I am the General Secretary of the GMA, I wont give you figures immediately,” he said when asked by host Roland Walker to mention how many have so far left the country.

He added “But I can give you some examples, I will give you a unit in one hospital I won’t name, a big hospital in Accra, from January till now, five doctors have left that unit

“We need to do something about it deliberate in this country.”

Source: 3news.com|Ghana