The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Minority in Parliament has chastised government for what it described as gross administrative neglect and political indifference in extending financial clearance for newly recruited nurses and midwives.
The group pointed out that thousands of health professionals who were duly posted to hospitals and clinics across the country have gone for months without salaries despite having been recruited under an official clearance issued by the Ministry of Finance.
“These professionals, who were duly posted to health facilities across the country pursuant to an official financial clearance, have become victims of administrative neglect and political indifference,” the minority stated.
Addressing the media in Parliament on Tuesday, the Minority Ranking Member on Health Committee of Parliament, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriye expressed outrage that about 7,000 nurses and midwives employed by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in December 2024 have not received their salaries, even though their counterparts recruited by teaching hospitals and the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) in July 2024 under the same clearance have been paid since July.
“It’s not fair for about 7,000 nurses and midwives to work for 10 months in 2025 without pay, while others enjoy five months’ salary simply because of administrative delays by the GHS,” the Minority lamented.
According to the Minority, all 13,000 nurses and midwives were supposed to benefit from the same budgetary allocation for salaries and accused the Health Ministry of failing to act decisively.
“We call on the Minister for Health to query the GHS for their delay in recruitment, not to punish these staff nurses and midwives who have done no wrong,” Dr. Afriye demanded.
The Minority noted that the Ministry of Finance’s clearance letter, which authorized the recruitment of the nurses and midwives, was set to expire on December 31, 2024. However, it stressed that the extension of such clearances has always been standard practice within the civil and public service.
“There exists no legal or administrative impediment to the extension of a valid financial clearance, and precedent within this very administration attests to the normalcy of that practice,” Dr Ayew Afriye reiterated.
The Minority accused the government of deliberately failing to act in good time, calling the situation a conscious decision not to prioritize the welfare of health workers.
The Caucus further indicated that the government’s inaction appeared politically motivated.
“Instead of accepting responsibility for its dereliction, the government seeks to mislead the public by portraying its belated efforts to seek Cabinet approval for an already expired clearance as an act of goodwill,” Dr Ayew Afriye asserted.
He also dismissed as deliberate misinformation the claim by the Health Minister that Cabinet approval was required to extend the clearance.
The Minority Caucus called on the government to take immediate and concrete steps to resolve the impasse, urging the administration to extend the financial clearance that has expired; Regularize the employment and payments of all affected nurses and midwives, including arrears; and Institute reforms to prevent similar lapses in future.
Reaffirming its support for the affected health professionals, the Minority said it had previously shown goodwill by urging nurses to suspend industrial actions earlier this year in the national interest, a gesture it claims was not reciprocated by the Majority during similar crises under the previous government.
“We remain a reasonable and responsible Minority. We have sought to avoid politicizing matters of health, guided by the belief that healthcare must transcend partisan boundaries,” Dr Ayew Afriye stressed.
The Minority Caucus expressed solidarity with the health workers, reaffirming its unwavering commitment to defend their rights, protect the integrity of the health service, and uphold the government’s constitutional duty to ensure that every Ghanaian enjoys accessible, efficient, and dignified healthcare.
By Osumanu Al-Hassan
