Miscommunication at Health Ministry thwarting beauty of trainees' allowances restoration

The unprecedented restoration of Trainees' allowance policy that became the major health policy during the 2016 General Presidential and Parliamentary elections shall not see light of day as danger looms due to communication lapses at the Ministry of Health.

Few months ago, the Ministry Of Health and all other relevant stakeholders held a forum and agreed on the following:

1. Which group of Trainees' will benefit from the flagship programme of allowance restoration. It was agreed that all newly admitted and continuing students will be given the allowances.

2. The date of implementation was agreed to take off in September 2017.

3. The amount of money allocated for the policy was outlined in the 'Asempa' budget presented on the floor of Parliament by the Hon Finance Minister.

4. Means of payment was for the money to be paid through the Controller and Accountant General Department.

Recently, a directive was issued to register all newly admitted and continuing students in the Ministry of Health Training Institutions, as part of the implementation process.

This brought excitement, drumming and dancing by Trainees' in the various schools as Trainees' now see light at the tunnel end in President AKUFO-ADDO promise of allowances restoration.

As the days go by came a bitter and distasteful development that has thrown Trainees' into suffering from Psychosomatic Disorders.

Principals and Heads of the various public institutions are denying final year Trainees' Nurse Assistant Clinical (NAC) and Nurse Assistant Preventive (NAP) are those studying the 2 year certificate program and about completing school ending of November, 2017 of the registration, because they have received a directive from the acting Director of the Health Training Institution Secretariat (HTIS) that this particular group are not part since they will be completing this November (alleged).

Like seriously?

So they are not continuing Students?

Who are continuing students If I may ask?

So far as the policy has started while they are in school, they have every right to get their September, October and November Trainees' allowances, as agreed at the forum that every continuing student will be a beneficiary of those flagship programmes.

Interestingly, I listened to an interview on one of the FM stations and the Ministry Of Health (MOH) PRO, Robert Cudjoe clarified that such directive of not registering the NAC and NAP does not exist and nothing like that was agreed at the forum that was held few months ago. Hence all newly admitted and continuing students have to be registered regardless of when they will complete school.

On this issue, the PRO really delivered perfectly.

I further confirmed from two high-ranking officials at MOH and one told me all students will benefit, while the other said otherwise.

Like seriously?

How can an essential Ministry, like the Ministry of Health experience such a huge gap in communication?

Well, if the Ministry or government intends to deny the NAC/NAP students who are about completing in November, of their allowances then it is very unfortunate, a big betrayal, unfair and disheartening to say the least.

The Ministry and government should as a matter of urgency direct all Principals and Heads of the Ministry Of Health Training Institutions to register this particular group in order to prevent any agitation that may destroy the beauty of this unprecedented policy.

These students should be paid their September, November, and December Trainees' allowances.

Such communication deficit should be looked at for redress because it endangers and paints the Ministry in colours of incompetency and clear lack of vision for the Health of the Ghanaian Citizenry.

Let me use this opportunity to appeal to government to employ the unemployed nurses who have been home for more than 6months now, and also pay salaries and allowances of staff nurses and internship nurses respectively.