Just cheap labour – GRNMA quashes GHS reasons for employing SHS graduates to assist nurses
The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association appears unconvinced despite explanations by the Director General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Patrick Kumah Aboagye over the decision to hire Senior High School graduates to aid nurses at the Community Health Planning Services (CHPS) Compound.
Mr David Tenkorang, General Secretary of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) during an interview on TV3 was glad about the fact that at least Dr Aboagye made mentioned the fact that there is a gap to be filled.
Making a case for the professional nurses who have still not been employed after training, Mr Tenkorang said “the gap is there because of the absence of nurses if it is done we will not need Senior High School graduates”.
“It is cheap labour as far as I am concerned,” Mr Tenkorang stated.
According to him per the job description brought out by the Ghana Health Service, there is a need to engage the services of the Community Health Nurses to augment efforts at the CHPS compounds.
He reiterated his misunderstanding of the insistence of the Ghana Health Service to engage the services of the SHS graduates to the detriment of the backlog of about 20,000 nurses who have gotten financial clearance but have not been posted to any hospital to work.
He further cited that every chain of health service delivery is very important in the sense that professional hands are needed to deliver debunking the notion that the SHS graduates are not going to provide nursing service but just to assist.
On the issue of the employment situation of about 20,000 nurses, Mr Tenkorang revealed that the batches up to 2018 have been employed but revealed that the 2019 batch is facing issues and complained that the association is not happy about how their members are being treated and left frustrated.
He then hinted about the fact if the Ghana Health Service goes ahead to engage the SHS graduates and also the situation of their members yet to be employed does not change, the GRNMA’s next line of action will be made known during their council meeting in September.
