General Secretary for Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), David Tenkorang has appealed for better conditions of service for members.
He indicated that, nurses apply to work abroad because they get better remunerations.
“Nurses and midwives here cannot be paid like those in the UK but we must find ways and means to increase the salary” he stressed.
Even more worrying, Mr. Tenkorang noted is the refusal by Ghana Health Service to grant nurses study leaves and promotions when their time is due.
“Per our laws, nurses who work in rural areas after sometime are entitled to study leave and after two years of serving, they are entitled to a promotion but check if practically that is what is happening. Some nurses have worked in rural areas for seven years, applied for study leave and it has not been approved,” he said on Adom FMs morning show Dwaso Nsem Wednesday.
Mr Tenkorang added that, even nurses who combine work with and schooling mostly on weekends to upgrade themselves are not recognised by the Ghana Health Service.
He maintained that, if nurses and midwives are appreciated for their service to Ghana, travelling overseas will not be an option.
On the ban on Ghanaian nurses by the UK, Mr. Tenkorang said the red list will not affect individual nurses and midwives who apply to work in UK health facilities.