The Upper East Regional Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), Desmond Yaani, has stated that the ongoing industrial action by the association will escalate from Wednesday, June 4, 2025, with a significant impact expected across health facilities in the region.
Speaking on Mike FM’s News Beat on Tuesday, Yaani disclosed that the association had issued a fresh directive urging members to suspend services at the outpatient departments (OPD) and emergency wards beginning Wednesday June 4, 2025.
“This strike will begin to bite harder in the region starting even June 4th not even June 9th,” Yaani stated.
“We are calling on residents to brace themselves. This is not what we want, but we have been forced into this position by the failure of the employer to honour our collective agreement,” He added.
The intensified strike follows weeks of unresolved grievances between the GRNMA and the government, primarily over the failure to implement agreed-upon conditions of service for nurses and midwives across the country.
In its latest release, the GRNMA called on the Ministry of Health to direct its focus towards securing approval for the Collective Agreement from the Ministry of Finance rather than engaging in counterproductive actions. According to the Association, the only objective of its leadership is to ensure the timely execution of the agreement, which it insists is long overdue.
In the interview, Yaani also expressed concern over reports of intimidation and harassment of striking members at various health facilities.
“We have taken note of the intimidation being meted out to our members. Let me make it clear that it will not stop us. We are resolved in our demand for better conditions of service.”
The GRNMA’s latest action signals a deepening standoff with government authorities, raising fears of a public health crisis in the region, especially if the strike extends further into critical departments.
Residents who would bare the brunt of the strike have called for immediate dialogue between the government and the association to avert the worsening impact of the strike on patients, especially vulnerable groups in rural areas like the Upper East Region relying on public health care.
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