Public nurses to apply for jobs in 2017 – Health Minister

The Minister of Health, Alex Segbefia, has announced that graduate nurses trained in public institutions would from next year apply for jobs after their training.

According to him, the practice where nurses are automatically employed by the Ghana Health Service, would be cancelled.

Speaking at Ho in the Volta Region, Alex Segbefia said government's agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) necessitated the decision to enable it reduce the wage bill.

Prior to this, government had repeatedly denied suggestions that the IMF agreement were going to lead to job cuts.

He said “our finances are such that we had to sign an agreement with the IMF. And one of the things that the IMF looked at was our wage bill which was very high. So we got rid of all the ghost names and we've reduced it but it is being watched closely.”

“…They know that we have bonded some of you so once the person is bonded we are compelled to employ so we employ those people. But if you are not bonded next year or in two years' time, what happens is that, you will now take your certificate and come and say I have completed, but you will now go and search for a job just like anybody else who goes out. You will be put in the same position like private training colleges, because it is a different scenario that we are in,” he added

But the Ghana Nurses and Midwife Trainees' Association have rejected government's decision. The association has thus given government a two-week ultimatum to rescind its decision which they said was not well-thought through.

Speaking in a Citi News, Spokesperson for the association, Akazeee Godwin Asabire, said they were told that “the IMF conditionalities does not affect employment in the health and education sectors.”

“…So has that decision changed or now there are some additions to the IMF conditionalities that we don't know?”

Godwin Asabire further described the policy as “rather appalling and mind-boggling.”

“…So if this is what they are saying and are about to implement such a policy, it means that we are directly aiding corruption because it will come to a time that those people with the requisite skills will be left to sit somewhere and those who know people at the Ministry or have money to pay will rather be employed to work in the various health sectors. With this where is the quality” he questioned.

“…We gave them a 14-day ultimatum. If that 14-day elapses then probably we would have to resort to the language that the government understands in order for us to drum home our view. We don't support this decision and we are kicking against it,” the spokesperson added.

As a result of the new policy, government has said it will no longer bond trained nurses, since that made it compulsory for government to have the first option to employ them.

In recent times, several trained nurses and midwives have embarked demonstrations demanding to be employed.

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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin