The nationwide strike by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has plunged emergency services at major government hospitals into disarray, leaving patients stranded and healthcare delivery severely disrupted.
On the second day of the industrial action, facilities such as the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital) have witnessed deserted outpatient departments (OPDs) and emergency wards. Patients arriving for urgent care find themselves without assistance, as the absence of nurses has brought routine operations to a standstill.
Medical doctors report a drastic reduction in patient turnout, with numbers dropping from an average of 600 to just 100 daily, attributing the decline to the unavailability of nursing support. Even rotation nurses have failed to report to work.
JOYNEWS correspondent Collins Frimpong, reporting from Greater Accra Regional Hospital Hospital, observed a chaotic scene at the ambulance unit, with no staff available to assist patients.
“The emergency department is completely deserted,” he noted.
A patient who had travelled all the way from Takoradi in the Western Region to seek treatment at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital said she was unsure when, or if, she would be able to see a doctor.
Two frustrated patients told JOYNEWS they were deeply concerned about the strike’s impact on their health. One woman, who returned to the hospital for an eye review, said she could not access any help: “I came here for a follow-up because of an eye problem, but I can’t even see a doctor. There’s nobody to help.”
Another patient, visibly distressed, called on government to act swiftly: “We need the government to intervene now. If they don’t, this could turn into a national catastrophe.”
The strike, which began on June 4, follows the government’s failure to implement improved conditions of service agreed in the 2024 Collective Agreement. Despite emergency directives from the Ministry of Health aimed at maintaining critical services, the GRNMA insists the strike is necessary, citing longstanding systemic neglect of nurses’ welfare.
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In the Ashanti Regional capital of Kumasi, the strike continues to bit at the various government hospitals in the city. “This is my first time, but I couldn’t access healthcare. They turned me away,” one patient told JOYNEWS’ Clinton Yeboah.
In reaction, the National Labour Commission (NLC) has declared the strike illegal and has ordered the GRNMA to return to work and resume negotiations with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission.
Meanwhile, as the standoff continues, patients across Ghana’s public hospitals are caught in the middle, with many fearing that delays in care could prove fatal. Calls are mounting on the government to urgently resolve the impasse and restore essential healthcare services.
