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GRNMA strike: Show nurses respect – Ranking Member, Health Committee tells gov’t

Ranking Member on Parliament’s Health Committee, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie, has pointed fingers at the National Labour Commission (NLC) and the Ministry of Finance for the ongoing strike by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA).

Speaking on JoyFM’s News Night on Monday, June 9, Dr. Afriyie said the NLC failed in its duty to intervene promptly when the GRNMA gave notice of the industrial action, despite nurses being classified under essential services by law.

“You have to blame the Labour Commission because the Act says that these are essential services; they don’t have to go on strike. Before they go on strike, they notified you, and you should attend to their needs within 72 hours,” he said.

• Read also: Nurses’ strike continues as Health Ministry fails to reach agreement with GRNMA

Dr. Afriyie explained that although the Ministry of Health had already approved the conditions of service under the previous administration, the Ministry of Finance has failed to follow through.

“The Ministry of Health is the implementing agency – they are done with them, and they are with the Ministry of Finance. On this occasion, the nurses are saying we reached [an agreement] with the NPP government, and the Ministry of Health approved of this. They took it to the Ministry of Finance, they approved of it, they were going to get Controller to implement it and they took themselves to court.”

He criticised the Finance Ministry for ignoring the nurses for half a year, despite their patience and willingness to engage.

“Why is it that the Minister of Finance has not met them for six months to pick up from where the NPP left off? These nurses have been reasonable for months. Show them some respect,” he said.

• Read also: NLC secures high court injunction to end nurses’ strike

Dr. Afriyie also took issue with the decision by the NLC to resort to the courts rather than resolving the matter through dialogue.

“The issue of taking it to court is not right; that’s not the way to solve this issue. I will ask the nurses to be lenient for the sake of lives,” he added.

Meanwhile, the nurses’ strike has entered a crucial stage and continues to place strain on health facilities nationwide as efforts by the Health Ministry to end the ongoing strike remain unresolved following a failed emergency meeting on Monday, June 9.

The deadlock stems from the government’s request to postpone the implementation of the nurses’ conditions of service until 2026, an offer the GRNMA has outrightly rejected.

Speaking to journalists after the closed-door meeting, GRNMA Vice President Samuel Alagkora Akologo expressed disappointment, revealing that government officials cited budgetary constraints as the reason for the delay.

OSP vs Ofori-Atta: It is difficult to reconcile the letters from Mayo Clinic – Neurosurgeon

A prominent neurosurgeon at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr. Hadi Mohammed, has cast significant doubt on the consistency and necessity of the medical reports circulating regarding former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta’s prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment at the Mayo Clinic.

Speaking on JoyNews Newsfile on Saturday, June 7, Dr. Mohammed highlighted a critical lack of reconciliation between different medical communications, which raises questions about the justification for Mr Ofori-Atta’s extended absence from Ghana.

Mr Ofori-Atta’s continued stay outside Ghana has resulted in him being declared wanted by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and subsequent placement on INTERPOL’s Red Notice over allegations of using public office for private gains while serving as minister under the erstwhile Akufo-Addo government.

Dr. Mohammed specifically pointed to discrepancies in two purported medical letters related to Mr Ofori-Atta’s condition.

“From what I’ve seen circulating on social media, it appears as at March… it was clear that he would be undergoing surgery,” he stated. However, he noted that a subsequent letter indicated Mr Ofori-Atta had to undergo an “MRI-guided biopsy”.

The neurosurgeon found it “very difficult to reconcile the two letters” and the implied chronology of events.

He clarified that biopsies, particularly for prostate cancer, are typically considered “minor surgery” or “day activities”.

“Usually in Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, it’s done on the ward, and the patient goes home the same day. Some even do it in the clinics, you know,” Dr. Mohammed explained. This contrasts sharply with the notion of a major, prolonged surgical procedure implied by the earlier communication.

“The two letters are really difficult to reconcile in terms of the chronology of activities that they had scheduled for him [Mr Ofori-Atta],” Dr. Mohammed reiterated, further questioning why an advanced centre like the Mayo Clinic would delay a crucial tissue biopsy if initial PSA levels were high, given the need to quickly ascertain tumour aggressiveness.

Challenging the perception that Mr Ofori-Atta’s treatment at a prestigious foreign institution like the Mayo Clinic implies a medical situation beyond Ghana’s capacity, Dr. Mohammed delivered a robust defence of local medical expertise.

“Ghana is one of the most advanced in terms of prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment in the sub-region,” he asserted.

He revealed that Ghanaian urologists have successfully treated “high-level government officials in the sub-region across many West African countries and in-country as well, including members of the previous government and members of this government.”

Dr. Mohammed, who has had the opportunity to treat some of these officials for related conditions, dismissed the notion of superior care abroad for prostate cancer.

“I’ve actually looked at what Mayo does, and I don’t think that there’s anything special that they would do for a prostate cancer patient that does not really exist in Ghana or change the prognosis of the patients.”

The neurosurgeon underscored that specialised oncology units capable of administering advanced treatments like chemotherapy and immunotherapy exist in Ghana.

The former Finance Minister’s prolonged stay abroad has been a subject of public scrutiny, particularly in the context of the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s recent re-issuance of a Red Notice for him.

National Vaccine Institute makes impressive strides, activate measures for drug production

The Acting Chief Executive Officer of the National Vaccine Institute (NVI), Dr Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey, has disclosed that the NVI is making giant strides in its quest to achieve vaccine self-sufficiency in the country’s health delivery.

He said the NVI was mandated to coordinate and supervise research, develop and manufacture vaccines and sera, and for related matters nationally, according to its ACT 1097 2023, in response to the vaccine nationalism that characterised the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dr Sodzi-Tettey said this during the recent JEAM Leadership Lecture Series, in memory of late President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, instituted and organised by the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS).

The Lecture Series was under the theme, “Advancing Quality Health Systems in Ghana Amidst Global Disruptions.”

He disclosed that vaccines have saved millions of lives from time immemorial, with only one per cent of vaccines used being manufactured in Africa, and described the government’s decision to establish the NVI as bold and forward-thinking.

On its second anniversary, in May, this year, Dr Sodzi-Tettey acknowledged its modest gains as organizational set up, supporting the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to become a World Health Organisation (WHO) Maturity Three Regulatory Agency for vaccine manufacturing and selected two private companies to lead on vaccine manufacturing through a public, private partnership (PPP) model.

He said the NVI facilitated technology transfer for vaccine manufacturing in Ghana between foreign entities and local vaccine manufacturers and established useful partnerships with the European Union, the German Economic Development and Cooperation, GIZ, World Bank, Africa CDC, WHO, and Universities home and abroad, among others.

He indicated that after months of testing, quality assurance and safety checks, the Ghana FDA issued market authorisation to Atlantic Life Sciences (ALS) Limited for the manufacturing of Snake Venom Anti Serum in commercial quantities.

An average of 9,600 snakebite cases were reported between 2015 and 2019 annually, in the country alone, with a fatality rate of 3 per cent, and lifelong disabilities such as amputations and chronic wounds affecting survivors, according to research.

Again, in sub-Saharan Africa, an estimated 1 million snakebites result in a mortality between 10,000 and 30,000.

Dr Sodzi-Tettey said plans are advanced for NVI and the ALS Ltd to produce vaccines to meet national expectations and hopefully a continental supply of Snake Venom Anti Serum by producing what Atlantic Life Sciences describes as “a locally produced, affordable, and multi-species targeted polyherbal anti-venom derived from Ghana’s rich biodiversity.”

“NVI aim is to stop the importation of Snake Venom Anti Serum.”

Again, the National Vaccine Institute has convened a meeting of the Atlantic Life Sciences, DEK Vaccines Limited and Noguchi Memorial Institute to kickstart planning towards developing a ‘fill and finish’ product of Tetanus Diphtheria Vaccine, which is most likely to be the first groundbreaking, locally manufactured vaccine.

“The assurance therefore is that the National Vaccine Institute is alive to its mandate and will proactively play its role in support of the President’s vision for effective management of public health emergencies.”

The Ag CEO of NVI disclosed a partnership with UHAS due to its capacity, human resource and infrastructure towards vaccine research and development as recent visit with a team of experts from the European Union and GIZ shows promising partnership.

“To put it mildly, we were all super impressed. So much so that the team has mobilized initial support to enhance R&D capacity under the PharmaVax project financed by the EU and BMZ.

“We are hopeful that the human resource capacity available here at UHAS will be tapped efficiently to support other institutions across the country,” he added.

“Aluta Continua”: Nurses’ strike persists as GRNMA awaits official injunction notice

The nationwide strike by nurses and midwives continues unabated, plunging the healthcare sector into a deeper crisis, as the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) maintains it has yet to receive formal notification of a High Court injunction ordering a return to work.

Despite the National Labour Commission (NLC) securing an interlocutory injunction on Thursday, June 5, 2025, the GRNMA insists its “struggle continues” until legally served.

The industrial action, which commenced on Tuesday, June 4, has brought vital healthcare services across over 300 public hospitals and clinics in all 16 regions to a near standstill.

Thousands of patients have been left stranded, with emergency units operating minimally and scheduled surgeries postponed indefinitely.

Vulnerable populations, including pregnant women attending antenatal clinics and young children requiring routine immunisations, have been disproportionately affected by the sudden halt in non-emergency patient care, which has seen an 80-90% reduction in some facilities.

READ ALSO: High Court restrains GRNMA from continuing with strike for 10 days

Speaking to Citi News on Friday, June 6, Joseph Krampah, Public Relations Officer for the GRNMA, articulated the association’s firm stance.

“They think that they should serve us a letter; we can’t prevent them, but what constitutes an illegal strike? When in Ghana has the Labour Commission said that this strike is legal? It is only illegal when they don’t inform your office about the intended strike, and we did—you had the letter,” Krampah asserted, challenging the NLC’s declaration that their action is illegal.

He continued, echoing the defiant motto, “If you are declaring it as illegal or whatever and you are bringing an injunction, that is your job to do, and we respect the court and the NLC very much. We are law-abiding people. But just that things that we have not seen, we cannot act on them. I am saying that we haven’t received any letter. None of the executives has been served with any letter about that. So till we know that, aluta continua.”

The GRNMA launched the strike to protest persistent delays in the implementation of their 2024 Collective Agreement.

Key grievances include the non-payment of various critical allowances, such as responsibility, uniform, and non-basic allowances, which collectively amount to millions of cedis owed over time.

Additionally, the association cites the plight of over 5,000 newly qualified nurses and midwives who have been awaiting official postings since late 2024, a significant impediment to their professional integration.

While the NLC’s injunction from the High Court’s Industrial and Labour Division aims to compel the GRNMA’s over 128,000 members back to their posts, the technicality of non-service has created an unusual impasse.

The coming days will likely determine whether the legal process can swiftly deliver the injunction notice to the GRNMA leadership, or if the healthcare crisis will deepen as the “struggle continues.”

Health Minister calls for independent mediation to end nurses’ strike

The Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, is urging the immediate formation of an independent mediation body to help resolve the deepening standoff between the government and striking nurses and midwives.

The call comes as the nationwide industrial action enters its fourth day, leaving many hospitals overwhelmed and patients stranded.

Thousands of nurses and midwives have withdrawn their services in protest over delays in implementing their agreed Conditions of Service.

Speaking to JoyNews, Mr. Akandoh expressed grave concern over the impact of the strike on public health and stressed the urgency of reaching a consensus.

• Read also: Strike by nurses disrupts healthcare services across Ghana

“Our last meeting before they declared the road map, we agreed that all the stakeholders must come together and see how we can all implement this thing,” he said.

“Yesterday, a similar thing happened. So I’m even informed that the Fair Wages [Commission] on Monday is also willing.”

He continued, “We want to be very objective. An independent body should come in here. The independent body will be able to look into the face of the Minister of Health or Minister of Finance and say, ‘You are supposed to do this, so let’s go this route.’”

Mr. Akandoh emphasised the need for cooperation rather than confrontation.

“We are not ready to intimidate anybody, and I pray and hope that nobody is also prepared to intimidate the government. Let’s sit around the table, find a solution to the matter, and have frank discussions.”

Appealing to both sides to lower tensions, the minister added: “Let’s massage our egos, let’s put our emotions aside. We have Ghanaians to protect. We have Ghanaians to save their lives. We have an economy to run.”

However, the Registered Nurses and Midwives Association remains firm in its demands. The General Secretary, Dr. David Tenkorang, insists the strike will only be called off once the government begins implementing the agreed Conditions of Service.

“We deal with employer. The employer is the same. Government may change, but the employer is the same,” he said.

“The Ministry of Health hasn’t changed, but the government has changed hands. It doesn’t mean that whatever agreement was reached with the employer should be curtailed.”

He emphasised the urgency of the situation and the sacrifices made by healthcare workers.

“I think that we have had enough patience for this administration. These are demands that can easily be met, and I don’t see why they should drag this,” he argued.

“There is no need to see to the demise of any Ghanaian. We are ready to work and protect our people. Even during COVID, we stood solidly and we provided essential services. If there’s any time the employer should reward nurses and midwives, it’s now.”

Dr. Tenkorang also raised concerns over the increasing number of trained nurses and midwives leaving the country for better opportunities.

“Those who are remaining have sacrificed. They can also travel. But the thing is, all of us cannot leave. We need to remain in Ghana, to build Ghana together.”

Greater Accra: Ambulance shortage forces dispatchers to prioritise only critical cases

The Head of Dispatch at the Ghana National Ambulance Service for the Greater Accra Region, Joyce Avadzinu, has revealed that the region is grappling with a severe shortage of ambulances, significantly hampering timely emergency responses.

In an interview with Citi FM, Ms Avadzinu disclosed that only 42 ambulances are currently operational across the entire region.

This constraint has compelled the service to ration their deployment, with dispatchers forced to reserve vehicles for only the most life-threatening emergencies.

“We are managing because, with the 42 ambulances, most of them are already out on calls when new requests come in. If it’s an inter-hospital transfer and the patient can wait, we ask them to do so,” she said.

“We deliberately hold back some ambulances for serious cases like road traffic accidents or sudden collapses.”

She explained that the limited fleet requires constant coordination with individual ambulance stations.

Dispatchers must keep track of the vehicles in use and adjust deployment in real time to ensure that emergency coverage is maintained.

“So, anytime we dispatch an ambulance, we alert other stations to be on standby. Once the vehicle returns, it can be redeployed. It is far from ideal, but we are doing our best with the resources at our disposal,” Ms Avadzinu added.

Brogya Foundation wins “Outstanding Humanitarian Initiative in Child Welfare Award”

Child care and health-focused charity organization,  Brogya Foundation, has been recognized for its exceptional contributions to child welfare with the prestigious  “Outstanding Humanitarian Initiative Award” at the Ghana Outstanding Community Leadership Awards (GOCLA), held on May 30, 2025, at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra.

The GOCLA Awards, which is powered by The Business Executive, recognizes social change makers and organizations that are driving progress in underserved communities, reinforcing the value of leadership rooted in service and humanitarian works..

Brogya Foundation was honoured for its transformative initiatives aimed at improving the lives of vulnerable children across Ghana—notably, donation of life-saving medical equipment such as infant incubators and phototherapy machines to the children’s ward at Agogo Presbyterian Hospital, significantly reducing infant mortality rates due to jaundice.

Commenting on the award, the founder and president of the organization, who is also the Dompeahene of Asante Akyem Agogo, Nana Bediako Brogya Sarpong, said: “This award is a testament to the power of compassion, collaboration, and community.”

“We dedicate this honor to our partners, supporters, and every individual who continues to believe in our mission,” he added.

Beyond healthcare, the Brogya Foundation has also supported education by distributing learning materials and over 1,000 pairs of shoes to underprivileged children. The organization regularly hosts inclusive events to uplift marginalized youth through community engagement and resource provision.

In its most ambitious project to date, the foundation partnered with renowned Ghanaian-American plastic surgeon Dr. Michael K. Obeng and his U.S.-based Restore Worldwide Foundation to offer a week-long free surgical mission at Agogo Presbyterian Hospital.

Over 300 reconstructive surgeries were performed for individuals with physical deformities caused by birth defects or trauma. Patients traveled from across Ghana and neighboring African countries to receive care, restoring not only their health but also their dignity and self-confidence.

GRNMA strike: Sick pockets can’t take care of sick patients – Ashanti GRNMA

Agitated nurses at some public health facilities in Kumasi say they are prepared to escalate the industrial action if the government fails to heed to their concerns.

Leaders of the striking health workers say that members are “emotionally and financially sick”, hence the action to turn away patients to drum home their pressing needs.

At the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, local PRO of the Ghana Registered Nurses’ and Midwives’ Association (GRNMA), Martha Yiadom, said the government’s delay in implementing the agreed conditions of service is distressing.

Meanwhile, the Assistant Secretary of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), Ebenezer Acquah, says the stagnant service conditions are driving high attrition rates among nurses and healthcare practitioners.

He stated that the implementation of the agreed conditions of service is a test case of the government’s commitment to the welfare of health workers.