Ghana’s healthcare system is under growing strain as the nationwide strike by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) enters its second week without resolution. Negotiations between the union and the Ministry of Health broke down after the government proposed deferring the implementation of improved service conditions to 2026. The GRNMA rejected the offer, calling the delay unacceptable amid rising living costs and poor working conditions.
Hospitals and clinics across the country are operating with skeletal staff, leaving thousands of patients without access to critical care. Emergency rooms in major cities like Accra and Kumasi are overwhelmed, and many outpatient services have been suspended.
The union is demanding immediate adjustments to salary structures, risk allowances, and better working conditions, citing longstanding grievances that have gone unaddressed.
Public frustration is rising as the standoff prolongs, with civil society groups urging the government to take swift action to prevent a total collapse of the public health system. Meanwhile, the Health Ministry says it remains open to further dialogue but has not proposed a new offer. The strike, involving over 100,000 nurses and midwives, is one of the largest in recent years and underscores deeper challenges facing Ghana’s health sector, including chronic underfunding and staffing shortages.
