Unemployed graduate nurses stage demonstration against Govt

Hundreds of

They continued their protest to the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council where they formally presented a petition to the Ashanti Regional Minister.

The aggrieved nurses want the government to immediately release their financial clearance for their postings.

Some of the graduate nurses held placards which read: “two years in the house, post nurses now”, “two years in the house is enough”, “post midwives now!!”, amongst others.

“There are a whole lot of issues in the Ashanti Region. There have been a series of dialogue. In fact, from last year [2017] till now, we have done that, but we have heard nothing from government so we are here to demonstrate and submit the letter to the President,” one of the graduate nurses told Accra-based Citi FM.

“I think this government has been giving us assurances that have not resulted in positive results. We are pleading the government to release our financial clearance today or tomorrow so that we will end the issue. Otherwise we will organize another walk and we will end the demonstration at the Jubilee House. We believe the President is a listening President and he will be willing to address our concerns,” another added.

The delay is posting of nurses has been an issue on contention between government and Members of the Ghana Nurse and Midwives Trainees Association.

READ ALSO: Demolition:

Earlier in February, some unemployed graduate nurses demanding posting picketed at the Health Ministry.

Others also strongly protested government’s decision to enrol them on the Nation Builders Corps (NaBCo), saying that would not give them job security.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister of Health, Tina Mensah, has said that a lack of funds is the reason why government has been unable to post all nurses.

“We never had the clearance. When there is clearance in payment then you have to introduce the people, alert them and push them to do whatever they have to do. When the money is available you can clear them,” she said.