By Jones Anlimah
The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandah, has given assurance to the last batch of unpaid nurses that their outstanding salary arrears will soon be cleared.
In a statement, the Minister said his outfit is working closely with the Ministry of Finance to ensure that all outstanding payments are settled without further delay. He sympathized with the affected nurses, stressing that no health worker should be engaged without valid financial clearance, which has largely accounted for the current delays.
According to the Ministry, financial clearance was granted in August 2024 for the recruitment of 13,500 nurses, but it expired in December 2024. This left many of the nurses working without the necessary financial backing. Instead of asking them to stay home, the government allowed them to continue serving while provisions were made to regularize their salaries.
So far, more than 7,000 nurses have been paid, while about 6,500 are still awaiting payment. The Ministry noted that special concessions have been made to retain them and assured that their payments would be settled soon.
The Ministry also revealed that similar issues faced by some pharmacists, medical house officers, and junior doctors have been resolved. Rotation nurses and allied health interns who began their rotations in 2024 without receiving allowances have also been assured of payment in the coming days.
Government, the Health Minister emphasized, is adopting pragmatic measures to deal with such challenges in the health sector decisively. He reaffirmed government’s commitment to supporting the welfare of health workers, describing it as a priority in efforts to strengthen the country’s healthcare system.
The statement was signed by Tony Goodman, Head of Health Training Institutions and Spokesperson at the Ministry of Health.
