PRESS STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE GHANA REGISTERED NURSES AND MIDWIVES ASSOCIATION AT ITS PRESS CONFERENCE HELD ON 27TH MARCH 2024 AT THE GRNMA HEADQUARTERS AT SHIASHIE, ACCRA
Following the announcement of the new fees and charges by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana and the subsequent agitations by nurses and midwives on the astronomical increment of the Verification Fee from GHC550 to GHC3,000, the National Council of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association within the period issued two Press Releases on 11th March and 21st March 2024 and formally wrote letters to the Ministry of Health, the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the Speaker of Paliament, the majority and minority leaders of Paliament and the Chairman for the Parliamentary select committee on health.
A meeting with the Ministry of Health, the Management of the NMC and the leadership of Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association on 25th March 2024 concluded on the need for the Governing Board of the Nursing and Midwifery Council to holistically address the issue for the benefit of all parties.
A statement issued by the 15th Governing Board of the Nursing and Midwifery Council dated 26th March 2024 has stated that, the Board has taken a decision to halt the implementation of the newly approved fees and charges pending its review and has accordingly reverted to the previous fee structure.
In view of this decision by the NMC Board, the National Council of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association at its sitting today, 27th day of March 2024 has equally taken a decision to halt its roadmap of action in protest against the increased Verification fee.
We wish to assure all nurses and midwives that the leadership of the GRNMA will continue to engage and work with the interested parties to ensure that any new Verification Fee is fair and acceptable to the nursing and midwifery fraternity.
We wish to use this opportunity to call on the Ministry of Health to abolish the discriminatory directive on the sale of clearance forms to nurses and midwives.
We further call on the Ministry of Finance to as a matter of urgency, issue the needed Financial Clearance for the employment of the thousands of nurses and midwives currently languishing at home and having their skills wasting with each passing day.
We further want to use this opportunity to inform nurses and midwives that the negotiation on our Conditions of Service is on-going and that we will continue to represent our collective interest in that regard.
In conclusion, we wish to thank our members across the length and breadth of Ghana for diligently following the roadmap of actions issued on 21st March 2024 and further wish to express our sincerest gratitude to all stakeholders for their cooperation on this matter.
Unity is Strength