Recent data from the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) reveals that between January and July 2023, more than 4,000 nurses have left Ghana for Europe.
Members of the nurse practitioners association, attribute the migration of healthcare workers to the failure of successive governments to improve the conditions for healthcare professionals, which has been the primary driver behind this brain drain.
They argue that their counterparts in the Western world receive more lucrative offers and greater recognition for their services.
This revelation was made during a 2-day annual general and scientific meeting of the Nurse Practitioners Association of Ghana (NPAG).
Additionally, nurse practitioners in Ghana face obstacles in upgrading their skills to become nurse practitioners, leaving many feeling marginalized within the healthcare system.
Millicent Mensah shared her frustration, having not received an upgrade for over three years due to unresolved issues with their institutions’ HR departments.
“ I’m currently a nurse practitioner but I’m paid as a senior staff nurse on my pay slip”
“They did not upgrade us before we left on a study leave and many of us are facing this challenge “.
Ismail Awini, Chairman of the Nurse Practitioners Association of Ghana, links the dissatisfaction with healthcare practitioners’ salaries in the country to the departure of these professionals seeking employment in other countries. He calls on authorities to implement programs for the education and development of nurse practitioners.
“Our services is highly demanded in the western world and many of our people are leaving which is hampering healthcare delivery “
He added that people trains for 3 years and they come out with their salary still not commensurate with the upgrade which is worrying.
Madam Eva Mensah, Director of the Nursing and Midwifery, attributes the challenges faced by nurse practitioners in their line of duty to poor communication between training, education, and the professional service area.
She meanwhile indicates that the GRNMA is in discussions with relevant stakeholders to address these challenges.
Nurse practitioners form a specialized group under the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association, with roles including prescribing medications, requesting laboratory investigations, interpreting results, and providing patient care, among other responsibilities.
The AGM was on the theme: “creating a healthy community post Covid-19, the role of the nurse practitioners”.
Source: Fiilafmonline/Shawana Yussif
