The Deputy Minister of Finance, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, has appealed to striking nurses and midwives to return to negotiations, warning that their financial demands could severely undermine Ghana’s fiscal stability.
The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) began industrial action on June 4, crippling essential healthcare services in over 300 public health facilities nationwide.
While acknowledging the critical role nurses and midwives play in the country’s healthcare system, the Deputy Minister stressed that fully accommodating their demands would increase the national wage bill by more than GH¢2 billion, a figure that the government says is unsustainable within the current budget framework.
This fiscal concern echoes the position of the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, who reiterated that the nurses’ demands were not included in the 2025 national budget.
Speaking at a joint press briefing with the Finance Ministry on June 10 at Jubilee House, the Minister appealed for calm and urged the striking workers to consider the economic consequences of their demands.
He acknowledged the legitimacy of the nurses’ grievances but warned that immediate implementation of their pay and service conditions could jeopardize the government’s recent fiscal gains and risk economic instability.
The ongoing standoff places significant pressure on the government to balance social demands with macroeconomic prudence amid broader fiscal constraints.
Political observers note the strike has intensified calls for greater transparency and dialogue in wage negotiations, especially in critical public sectors. As the health sector remains paralyzed, the government faces growing political challenges to find a solution that protects public welfare without endangering Ghana’s economic outlook.
