Nurse trainees claim some batches owed 27 months of allowance

Coalition of Concerned Nurses and Midwives has said some of their batches are owed as much as 27 months in allowance arrears.

It follows a recent announcement by Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia while speaking with nurses and midwives in Accra: “This Thursday, the Controller is transferring GHS177 million to the Ministry of Health to pay the nursing training allowances".

“So, I have also alerted Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye to be on standby when the money hits the Ministry of Health account, they should move it quickly to the accounts of the nursing trainees so that they will have their allawa. It will drop,” the Vice-President announced.

In a statement, however, the nurse and midwife trainees, said: “As of May 2024: 2017 Batch: One month of arrears is owed to trainees who completed in 2020. 2018 Batch: Three months of arrears are owed to trainees who completed in 2021. 2019 Batch: Four months of arrears are owed to trainees who completed in 2022. 2020 Batch: A staggering fifteen months of arrears are owed to trainees who completed in 2023. 2021 Batch: Trainees in their 3rd year as of May 2024 are owed 27 months of arrears, while those in 2-year courses are owed 17 months”.

They added: “In not less than a month, these batches of trainees will complete their training with this huge sum of arrears. 2022 Batch: An estimated 16 months of arrears are owed as of May 2024. 2023 Batch: Nine months of arrears are owed to trainees who will complete in 2026 as of May 2024”.

The group said approximately 30% of trainees have “never received any allowances at all”, adding: “And after completion, trainees do not stand any chance of receiving their arrears owed by the government as there is no arrangement put in place for that since the restoration of allowance, evidenced by many trainees who completed without allowance and has never been paid their arrears since”.

“This situation is untenable and unacceptable”, the coalition said.

The coalition said: “Trainees across various batches are facing significant financial hardships due to the non-payment of their allowances”, noting: “It is imperative that the government acts swiftly to address this issue and fulfil its promises by paying all arrears as stated above due to trainees, not the usual one-month payment out of the many arrears being owed by the government to these hardworking students”.

“We call on the government to prioritise the payment of arrears owed to trainees and ensure that such delays do not occur in the future. The education and well-being of our nurses and midwives should never be compromised”.

-ClassFMonline