Nurses And Midwives To Drape Health Facilities In Red, Withdraw Out-Patient Services Over Verification Fee Increment

The National Council of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has served notice of the series of activities to register their displeasure over the recent increment in the cost of verification fees for nurses.

Parliament announced a new cost of foreign verification from an initial 550 Ghana cedis to a “staggering” GHS 3,000, representing 445.45% increment.

Calls for the Health Ministry and the Nurses and Midwives Council to review the cost have proven futile.

The leadership of the nurses has therefore outlined actions to be undertaken from March 22 to April 3, 2024 to register their discontent at the new fees.

Beginning March 22 to 27, departments and wards where the nurses and midwives work across the country will be draped in red bands while they put on head and armbands.

A major press conference will be on March 27, 2024, with a consequential withdrawal of outpatient department services on 28th March 28 to 2nd April, 2024.

If the appropriate quarters fail to heed their calls, the health workers say they will be compelled to lay down their tools completely, including the withdrawal of in-patient and other services on 3rd April 2024.

In a statement signed by its National President, Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, the group indicated that letters written to the health ministry and the nurses and midwives council to rescind the decision are yet to be acknowledged.

“These actions have become necessary because, although the GRNMA officially communicated its discontentment about the 445.5% increment in the Verification Fee and requested for review of the amount of an acceptable level more than a week ago, the institutions involved which are the Parliament of Ghana, the Ministry of Health and the Nursing and Midwifery Council are yet to even acknowledge receipt of our letters and to make any effort towards having the GH¢3,000.00 reviewed,” the statement read.

The Council says they can only contain a maximum of 25% increment on the previous cost given the current economic difficulties.

“We wish to reiterate that, considering the current economic challenges and the fact that our salaries are not the best, nurses and midwives of Ghana can only contain a maximum of 25% increment which in our view can be borne by all grades of nurses and midwives,” the statement read.

The council entreated the nurses and midwives to oblige with the directive as it is the civic right.

“All nurses and midwives are expected to fully participate in the above-stated actions because it is their right to do so and therefore under no circumstance should they be threatened or coerced,” the statement said.

Below is the full statement.