Nurses and Midwives at the Keta Municipal Hospital in the Volta Region have resumed normal working routines after the suspension of the nationwide industrial action by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA).
The move is expected to pave the way for better negotiations between the association’s leadership and government officials to address the challenging grievances that led to the strike.
Madam Mary Deynu, a Matron and Nurses’ Manager at the Keta Municipal Hospital, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), disclosed that all nurses at the hospital were present at work as scheduled for the day’s duty.
“The suspension of strike and resumption of work by GRNMA is a welcome relief to patients and hospital administrators who had been struggling to cope with the impact of the strike,” she said.
She said that the nationwide strike by nurses and midwives caused significant disruptions to emergency services which put lives at risk and had put a strain on healthcare services across public health centres in the Municipality while patients had been forced to seek alternative healthcare options with some returned home due to the lack of staff.
Madam Deynu said that the suspension of the strike is expected to lead to better negotiations between the GRNMA and government officials for improved working conditions, better pay, and more resources for healthcare facilities.
She said: “We hope the government will be working hard to address the concerns; the suspension of the strike is seen as a positive step towards finding a resolution.”
Madam Adzorlolo Ama Sedem, a patient, told the GNA that many families were relieved over the suspension of the strike and the resumption of normal services at the Keta Municipal Hospital after many were worried about the impact of the strike on their health and well-being and services at Keta hospital is expected to alleviate some of their plights.
She explained that the Keta Municipal Hospital was the only trusted government hospital in the area that provided essential healthcare services to the local community and the staff which include nurses and midwives played a vital and critical role in delivering the services and their resumption of normal activities would ensure that patients continue to receive the care they need.
She appealed to the government to as a matter of urgency have proper engagement with the leadership of GRNMA and resolve their challenges through thorough negotiation to address the pressing concerns for the benefit of every individual in the nation.
Some other patients who spoke to GNA expressed excitement about the resumption of normal work by nurses and midwives at the Keta Municipal Hospital and thanked the leadership for quick intervention that would further prevent loss of life at the various hospital and health centres.
They said that suspension of the nationwide strike was expected to lead to better negotiations between the GRNMA and government officials and hoped that the hospital would continue to provide essential healthcare services to the local communities.
A visit by the GNA to the Keta Municipal hospital on Tuesday, June 17, at about 0900 hours, observed that various departments which include the Out Patients Department (OPD), X-ray, children’s and female wards, maternity ward, among others were in full operation.
Other information GNA gathered revealed that other public health centres that were affected by the strike within the municipality have also resumed normal routine work in delivering quality healthcare to the public.
Some residents who spoke to GNA called for proper dialogue and negotiation between the GRNMA and government officials and urged both parties to work together to find a lasting solution to the concerns that led to the strike.
Source: GNA
