May 21, 1998 Nurses of the Maternity Unit of Ghana's premier teaching hospital, Korle Bu, Thursday demonstrated at the premises of the hospital to back their demand for improved conditions of service.

The demonstration was also in protest against over-crowding in the wards which forces mothers to lie on the floor and on benches with their newly-born babies, a spokesperson for the nurses said.

The nurses, who drummed, danced and sang as they paraded around the hospital, demanded that they be paid night allowances as well as a review of the decision to reduce their annual leave from 36 days to 28 days.

"The problem of inadequate number of nurses and other staff at the wards is putting too much stress on the nurses. The nurse/patient ratio is simply overwhelming", the spokesperson said.

The nurses presented a petition to the Chief Executive of the hospital Dr Henry Holdbrook-Smith who said the hospital would soon adopt "bank nursing" system to address the problem of under-staffing.

Under the system, the management of the hospital would fall on the bank to supply nurses and pay allowances for the extra work done.

Congestion has been a major problem at the maternity Unit Korle Bu and efforts to solve it in the past by encouraging patients to patronise polyclinics have failed.

Dr Holdbroom-Smith said now patients who report at the unit would be screened and those found not having complications would be taken to polyclinics with transport provided free-of-charge.

These patients would also not pay any fees but those who attend Korle Bu Teaching Hospital would pay.