The leadership of the General Nurses Group (GNG), an affiliate of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), has initiated the formation of national and regional task forces to ensure full compliance with a planned industrial action across the country.
This move, according to the GNG, is aimed at intensifying pressure on the government over the “overly delayed” implementation of a collective agreement signed a year ago.
The GRNMA, which represents thousands of nurses and midwives nationwide, released a roadmap on May 28, 2025, outlining a series of escalating industrial actions to protest the government’s failure to honour the agreement.
The deal, signed in May 2024 with the nurses’ employer, remains unimplemented despite what the union describes as “numerous” engagements with both the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance.
Red bands and service withdrawals begin June 2
According to the roadmap, GRNMA members will begin wearing red arm and headbands from Monday, June 2, through Tuesday, June 3.
This symbolic protest will be followed by a withdrawal of Out-Patient Department (OPD) services from Wednesday, June 4 to Sunday, June 8.
From Monday, June 9, a full-scale withdrawal of all nursing and midwifery services will commence nationwide if their demands are not met.
Madam Kate Mensah-Botchwey, National Secretary of the GNG said the newly established taskforces will operate across all public health facilities in the country to monitor and enforce compliance with the strike directive.
“They will move round all the public health facilities to monitor the situation and give updates to the leadership of the GRNMA, our mother association, on compliance across the country,” she said.
Internal pressure mounts as nurses demand action
Madam Mensah-Botchwey disclosed that the leadership of the GRNMA is facing intense pressure from its members, many of whom are frustrated by the government’s inaction and the invalidation of their Professional Identification Numbers (PINs), which were expected to be renewed as part of the collective agreement.
“The agitations on our platforms are massive. Our members are not just ready; they are demanding immediate action. So, on Monday, you will see us across the country with our red bands,” she declared.
Government responds, but GRNMA stands firm
In a reaction to the growing unrest, the Ministry of Health issued an invitation to GRNMA leadership for a meeting, which took place on the same day the roadmap was released—May 28.
The meeting was intended to address the concerns raised and to seek consensus on the implementation of the agreement.
However, in a statement issued after the meeting, the GRNMA reiterated its decision to proceed with the industrial action, stating clearly that the roadmap would remain in force until the Ministry of Finance formally approves the agreement.
The association emphasized that the delay was not merely an administrative lapse but a grave disservice to nurses, midwives, and, ultimately, to the quality of healthcare delivery across the country.
Solidarity across nursing fraternity
Several affiliate groups of the GRNMA have issued public statements backing the industrial action.
These include the Paediatric Nurses Society–Ghana, the Ear, Nose and Throat Nurses Society–Ghana, the Enrolled Nurses Group, and the Nurse Practitioners Society of Ghana.
Their messages of solidarity underscore the depth of frustration within the profession and reflect a united front among health workers who say they feel abandoned by the very system they serve.
Impending crisis in public health sector
As Ghana braces for the nationwide withdrawal of nursing services, health sector analysts are warning of an impending crisis.
OPDs across public hospitals are likely to be the first to feel the impact from June 4, with full disruption expected a week later if the strike goes ahead as planned.
Efforts by the government to avert the action remain uncertain, as the GRNMA insists on concrete commitments, not just dialogue—before it will call off the strike.
With the June 2 deadline already here, the nation watches closely as its frontline health professionals prepare to take one of the most significant labour actions in recent years.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has moved swiftly to reassure the public and put in place emergency measures aimed at minimizing disruptions to health care delivery.
In a statement issued signed by Tony Goodman, spokesperson for the Ministry, the government detailed steps taken since the GRNMA announced its industrial action roadmap on May 28.
The Ministry emphasized its ongoing commitment to resolving the matter, and outlined directives to health institutions across the country intended to preserve access to essential health services during the period of the strike.
On May 30, 2025, the Ministry convened a meeting with all major stakeholders in the nursing and midwifery sector.
