Nurses/Midwives to resist attempts to denigrate its profession

Members of the Ghana Registered Nurses Association (GRNA) said the Association would use all legal and moral instruments to resist any attempt by some stakeholders within and without the health profession to denigrate nursing in the country.

The GRNA said over the years the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) had always taken undue advantage as employers and top managers to deny other health professionals their due.

“We are therefore not surprised at all by the stand taken by GMA on the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) as this has been their stock in trade over the years through divide and rule tactics.

“In spite of the general acceptance by the management of other health sector units of the grade structure, the GMA again is contesting why some grades within the GRNA should be equated to the entry grade of a medical doctor,” Mrs Alice D. Asare-Allotey, Senior member of the GRNA told newsmen in Accra.

She described as unacceptable, recent attempts by some GMA leadership to down grade some health professionals to pursue their selfish interest, saying “Nursing and midwifery are pivotal to public health and require the highest recognition.

“The Physician Assistant, nurses, midwives and other health groups teach medical students and house officers on the job only for them to come out later to lord it over us”.

Mrs Asare-Allotey said the GRNA and other health workers noted that the Association was monitoring the development between the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission as well as the Labour Commission and the GMA to ensure that its interest was not sacrificed to satisfy any group.

She called for health sector revolution to fight against injustices in the health sector. “Nurses and other health workers continue to suffer unduly, we must fight for our rights”.

She stated that the occasional attacks on nurses/midwives was gradually dwindling public trust and confidence in Nursing and Midwifery services mostly in public health facilities.

Mrs Asare-Allotey said it was heartbreaking that in the 21st century maternal health and child care were still facing challenges in developing countries, with unacceptably high indices in both maternal and child mortality rates, yet health workers devoted most time for internal squabbles.

The Senior GRNA member therefore appealed to the Ghana Health Service Council to immediately intervene to restore sanity in the health sector, “as the current cold war among stakeholders due to some provocative and disparaging statements from some GMA members against other health workers, was gradually sowing seeds of discord”.