Nurses, Midwives’ Salary Crisis; 99% Receive Arrears

More than 99 per cent of nurses and midwives recruited in 2024 and affected by salary delays have been paid their outstanding arrears according to the Ministry of Health, bringing the long-running employment and remuneration dispute close to resolution. The development follows sustained engagement between the Coalition of Unpaid Nurses and Midwives of Ghana and the Ministry of Health, with the coalition now expressing appreciation to Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh for his role in addressing the concerns.

President of the Coalition, Stephen Kwadwo Takyia, led a delegation to the Ministry of Health to formally commend the Minister and officials for their efforts in resolving the payment difficulties that had confronted thousands of newly recruited health professionals. The affected nurses and midwives were among about 13,500 health professionals recruited in 2024 but who began working without the financial clearance required to facilitate the payment of their salaries. Mr Akandoh explained that the situation had placed the government in a difficult position, as the affected workers had already been deployed to health facilities despite the absence of financial clearance.

Rather than withdraw their appointments, however, the Ministry decided to retain them at their duty posts while working with the Ministry of Finance to secure the funding needed to regularize their employment and settle their outstanding salaries. According to the Minister, financial clearance has now been obtained for all 13,500 affected workers, with only a small number of isolated cases yet to be resolved. He has consequently directed the Ministry’s Human Resource Directorate to expedite action on the remaining cases to ensure that the affected workers receive their payments without further delays.

The Minister also instructed agencies within the health sector to accelerate the issuance of appointment letters and the mechanisation of newly recruited health professionals. The directive is intended to ensure that newly employed nurses, midwives and other health workers are captured promptly on the government payroll and receive their salaries on time. The resolution comes as the government prepares for another major recruitment exercise in the health sector.

Mr Akandoh disclosed that the government is targeting the recruitment of 16,000 health professionals in 2026, with financial clearance already secured for the first 8,000. He said the Ministry would work to obtain financial clearance for the remaining 8,000 before their recruitment, in an effort to prevent the recurrence of a situation in which health professionals begin work without the necessary funding arrangements in place.

The Minister further directed newly recruited health professionals to report to their assigned health facilities by August 20, 2026. He warned that failure to report by the deadline could result in affected individuals losing their appointments. Beyond employment and salary matters, Mr Akandoh urged health professionals to approach their duties with commitment and professionalism, emphasising the need for patients to remain at the centre of healthcare delivery.

He called on health workers to treat patients with respect, dignity and compassion, stressing that the quality of healthcare depends not only on the availability of personnel but also on how patients are treated when they seek care. For the Coalition of Unpaid Nurses and Midwives, the payment of virtually all outstanding salaries represents a significant step towards ending a prolonged period of uncertainty for its members. The group commended the Ministry for maintaining dialogue with the affected workers and working towards a solution to their employment concerns.

With about 99 per cent of the affected health professionals now paid and the few remaining cases being addressed, the coalition expressed optimism that its members would soon be able to move beyond the circumstances that gave rise to the description “Unpaid Nurses and Midwives”. The development also places renewed attention on the need for recruitment into the health sector to be matched with timely financial clearance, appointment documentation and payroll processes to ensure that newly deployed health professionals do not face prolonged periods of work without pay.

By: Joyce Owusu