As the nationwide strike by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) stretches into its second week, a key opposition figure has accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of playing a behind-the-scenes role in the ongoing industrial action.
Mustapha Gbande, Deputy National Organizer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), claims the NPP is influencing the GRNMA’s decision to continue the strike, which has disrupted healthcare services and left many patients struggling to access care.
Gbande argues that during the NPP’s eight years in power, nurses and midwives never went on strike or demanded the full implementation of their conditions of service—raising questions, in his view, about the timing and motives behind the current protest.
“They have every right to strike,” Gbande acknowledged, “but they also have a responsibility to be present at the hospital. Leadership should be serious about their duties. If not, they should be replaced.”
He went further to allege that some members of the GRNMA leadership are currently abroad, coordinating their strike activities via Zoom—suggesting political interference from the NPP may be at play.
The nurses and midwives, however, insist the strike is purely in response to the government’s failure to fulfill agreed-upon conditions of service. Despite calls for them to return to work, they remain firm in their demand for action.
Meanwhile, the impact on public healthcare is growing, with services in many hospitals severely affected. As the standoff continues, the nation watches closely—waiting for a resolution to this critical health and political standoff.
Story By: Afia Ohenewaa Akyerem