Healthcare services across Ghana were thrown into disarray today as the nationwide strike by nurses and midwives entered a critical phase, causing widespread disruption in public health facilities.
The strike, spearheaded by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), has intensified following the total withdrawal of services on June 9, 2025. This comes despite a court injunction from the National Labour Commission (NLC) intended to halt the industrial action.
Patients were left stranded, clinics overwhelmed, and doctors stretched thin as nurses abandoned their posts in protest over the government’s delayed implementation of the 2024 Collective Agreement. The agreement outlines key provisions regarding salaries, allowances, and general working conditions.
The GRNMA has accused the government of negotiating in bad faith, alleging violations of Act 651 of the Labour Law, which requires genuine and fair negotiations during labour discussions.
Despite the NLC securing an interim injunction and filing an application for substituted service to compel the GRNMA into arbitration, the strike has continued unabated.
At Ridge Hospital in Accra, many patients waited in vain for medical attention. One woman, who had brought her brother for a review, told JoyNews:
“We arrived around 5:30 a.m., but we’ve been left unattended. We were told physicians would attend to us, but they’re busy in the wards. Many people have already left out of frustration.”
At the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, attempts by senior nurses to care for admitted patients were briefly disrupted by junior colleagues opposed to any form of service delivery during the strike. Tensions eased only after hospital management intervened.
The strike’s impact has been felt nationwide. In Tamale, both the Central and West hospitals were reportedly deserted, with nurses fully complying with the GRNMA’s directive. Similarly, at the Upper East Regional Hospital, services ground to a halt as nurses in all departments withdrew their labour.
The GRNMA remains resolute, declaring that the strike will persist until their concerns are addressed. The association is urging the government to honour the 2024 Collective Agreement, emphasizing that improved working conditions are critical to the healthcare system’s sustainability.
Credit: Emmanuel Tetteh
