Psychiatric nurses paid outstanding salary arrears

The Controller and Accountant General's Department has transferred GHC756,000 to pay all outstanding salary arrears of striking nurses at the three psychiatric hospitals in the country.

Meanwhile, tv3network.com has gathered the hospitals have acknowledged receipt of the money owed their staff and are scheduled to issue cheques to pay the nurses.

Nurses at the Accra Psychiatric have been on strike since October 1 to demand payment of their salary arrears.

They had previously on August 3 declared a sit down strike over the arrears but an intervention by the Employment and Labour Relations Minister, Haruna Iddrisu ensured the nurses returned to work after they were promised to be paid in two months. But that was not fulfilled prompting them to declare the recent strike.

A statement released Tuesday evening by the Ministry of Health said the nurses at the three psychiatric hospitals- Accra Psychiatric, Pantang Psychiatric and the Ankaful Psychiatric hospitals.

"This Payment was made to about 133 nurses who form part of some nurses to be paid outstanding arrears," it read

The statement noted that staffs of the Ministry of Health and Controller and Accountant General’s Department are keying in the inputs for payment of the rest of the salary arrears.

More than 7000 nurses and midwives across the country forming the Coalition of Unpaid Nurses and Midwives on Monday also declared an indefinite strike to back their demands for the payment of all salary and outstanding arrears for the past three years.

But the Ministry has asked all striking nurses to reconsider their decision considering measures being put in place to ensure that they are paid all monies owed them.

"This shows our commitment of ensuring that all outstanding arrears are worked on and paid in the shortest possible time. To this end, we wish to call on the nurses currently on strike to rescind their decision and go back to work since work is still ongoing to pay all outstanding arrears owe them," it concluded .