'14,000 jobless nurses and midwives to be employed soon'

The Ministry of Health has revealed that provisions have been made to employ 14,000 nurses before the end of this year.

According to the Public Relations Officer of the MoH, Robert Cudjoe, the government has decided to demonstrate commitment by employing 14,000 of the nurses.

The assurance comes after the Coalition of Unemployed Nurses and Midwives gave the government a three-week ultimatum to release their financial clearance and get them posted else they will storm the Jubilee House with protests.

Two groups; the "Unemployed Nurse Assistants Association 2016" and the "Coalition of Unposted Private Nurses" have been picketing the premises of the Health Ministry and the Jubilee to put pressure on the Ministry to capture their data and get them posted.

Some unemployed graduate nurses in February demanding posting picketed at the Health Ministry.

Others also strongly protested government's decision to enroll them on the Nation Builders Corps (NaBCo). They said that would not give them job security.

Meanwhile, Robert Cudjoe in an interview on Accra-based FM said the decision to employ 14,000 of the nurses is a result of the ongoing protests in various regions across the country in demand for jobs pending a proper dialogue with the coalition on the way forward.

He said: "We have received information although not officially from them about their demonstrations in some of the regions of our country. Some of us have been talking to them and I believe other officers have been able to also discuss issues with the leadership and all that, so, we have pleaded with them.

"The good news is that the government has given us the go-ahead to recruit 14,000 of the nurses who completed about two years ago. The clearance will take effect in February 2019."