Government withdrew both trainee nurses and teacher trainee allowances in 2014, in order to curb ballooning government expenditure as well as ensure fairness to all categories of  tertiary students.

Government’s argument was that University students are not given allowances, making it unfair for other categories of tertiary students to be given allowances. Teacher and nurses trainees were therefore asked to apply for government student loans to finance their education.

READ MORE:Nurses Allowance Trainee nurses demand increase in allowance

Government appears to have taken a new stance on the matter when it announced, last week,  that the nurses allowances would be reintroduced.

​“The payment which will amount to about GHC150 a month is aimed at supporting 34,500 students who are currently pursuing various levels of health professional training across the country,” Health Minister, Alex Segbefia explained.

But Kweku Baako said on Joy FM’s News File sai that “it was a cowardly decision.”

Government is believed not to have stayed true to its decision not  to over-spend  its budget in the 2016 election year for political expediency.

In defence of government, National Organiser of the governing National Democratic Congress, Kofi Adams said there was nothing wrong with the decision.

He said government was reintroducing the allowances for trainee nurses because they currently do not have access to students’ loans unlike their counterparts, teacher trainees.

He said the law is being amended to allow this to happen and until then, it is only proper that they are given some allowances.