–By Issah Olegor
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has launched a scathing attack on the leadership of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) over their ongoing nationwide strike, accusing them of irresponsibility and calling for their removal from public health positions.
The criticism, led by NDC Deputy General Secretary, Mustapha Gbande, comes amid mounting public concern over the prolonged industrial action by nurses and midwives, which has entered its second week and is severely disrupting healthcare delivery nationwide.
Speaking on Okay FM, Mustapha Gbande did not mince words, describing the GRNMA leadership as “wicked” and unfit to serve the people of Ghana.
“They are wicked people,” he said. “I urge the Health Minister to revoke their appointments. We need serious leadership.”
Mustapha Gbande further lambasted the fact that some union leaders were reportedly traveling abroad during the strike, calling it a betrayal of their duties.
Tensions Over Conditions of Service
The strike action, initiated by the GRNMA on June 2, stems from the government’s failure to implement the 2024 Collective Bargaining Agreement on improved conditions of service for nurses and midwives.
The GRNMA leadership has accused the Ministry of Health and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission of dragging their feet despite months of negotiations and a proposed roadmap for implementation.
In a strongly worded statement on June 5, signed by GRNMA President Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo and General Secretary David Tenkorang Twum, the association expressed outrage over what it described as threats and intimidation from healthcare facility managers, especially within the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG).
According to the statement, student nurses and rotation staff have been deployed to replace striking professionals at emergency departments and outpatient units—an action the union described as unethical and unsafe.
“Calling on student nurses to work unsupervised at OPDs and emergency units is not only unethical, it is unsafe,” the leadership said, warning that continued use of such tactics would prompt a full withdrawal of nursing services nationwide.
Full Withdrawal Threat
The Association has since issued a final ultimatum, threatening a complete shutdown of services starting Monday, June 9, unless the government halts its alleged intimidation and begins implementing the collective agreement.
According to the union, all partial service withdrawals will be escalated to a total strike, with no nurse or midwife reporting to work.
The GRNMA also denounced attempts by some employers to insert anti-strike clauses into new appointment letters, calling such measures a violation of Ghana’s Labour Act.
Government’s Response
In response to the escalating crisis, Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Prof. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, made a public appeal for the nurses to return to work.
Acknowledging their grievances, he stressed the life-threatening consequences of their absence.
“Let me take this opportunity to call on our sisters and brother nurses to come back to work,” he said at a press briefing on June 9.
“Healthcare is time-sensitive. If a nurse is in labour and needs urgent care, can she tell herself, ‘I won’t deliver today because I’m on strike’?”
Despite his plea and ongoing appeals from stakeholders, the union leadership has remained firm in its demand for action before services resume.
Political Fallout
The NDC’s intervention adds a new layer to the impasse, with Mustapha Gbande suggesting that then ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) government had failed to honour its obligations to health professionals over its eight-year tenure in power.
“Nurses have every right to strike, but leaders must also be accountable to patients,” Gbande stated.
While the NDC positions itself as pro-labour, its criticism of GRNMA leadership has sparked backlash from some observers who argue that the union is merely defending the welfare of its members in a system that continues to underdeliver.
As the situation unfolds, the GRNMA’s next steps—and the government’s response—could determine the future of healthcare labour relations in Ghana.
For now, patients remain caught in the crossfire of a bitter dispute between frontline workers and the state.
