The Coalition of Unpaid Nurses and Midwives of Ghana has commended the Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, for his intervention in resolving the salary arrears of nurses and midwives recruited in 2024.
More than 99 per cent of the 13,500 affected health professionals have now received their salaries, following sustained engagement between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance.
President of the Coalition, Stephen Kwadwo Takyia, led a delegation to the Ministry of Health to formally express appreciation to the Minister and his officials for their efforts in addressing the group’s employment and salary concerns.
Akandoh explained that the affected health professionals had begun work without financial clearance, creating a difficult situation for Government. He said the Ministry, instead of withdrawing their appointments, chose to retain them at post while working with the Ministry of Finance to secure the necessary funding.
According to the Minister, financial clearance has now been secured for all 13,500 workers, with only a few isolated cases yet to be resolved. He subsequently directed the Human Resource Directorate to expedite action on the outstanding cases.
He also instructed health-sector agencies to fast-track the issuance of appointment letters and the mechanisation of newly recruited health professionals to ensure timely processing of their salaries.
The Minister further disclosed that Government plans to recruit 16,000 health professionals in 2026, with financial clearance already secured for the first 8,000. He assured that clearance for the remaining 8,000 would be secured before recruitment begins to prevent a recurrence of salary arrears.
Mr Akandoh urged newly recruited health professionals to report to their assigned facilities by August 20, 2026, warning that failure to report by the deadline could result in the loss of their appointments.
He also encouraged health workers to serve with dedication and treat patients with respect and dignity, emphasising the need to keep patients at the centre of healthcare delivery.
The Coalition expressed appreciation to the Minister and the Ministry for their continued engagement and support in resolving their concerns. Members expressed optimism that, with the payment challenges largely addressed, the group would soon no longer be known as the Coalition of “Unpaid” Nurses and Midwives.