‘About 30% of us have never received any allowances at all’ — Nurses and Midwife trainees

Thousands of nurse and midwife trainees in Ghana have not received their allowance from the government for several months, according to the Coalition of Concerned Nurses and Midwives Trainees (CCNMT).

In the statement released on Wednesday, May 15, the CCNMT outlines significant arrears owed to trainees from various training batches dating back to 2017.

Trainees who completed their programs in 2020 are still owed one month's allowance, while those who finished in 2021 have three months outstanding.

The situation is even worse for more recent trainees, the coalition says.

Students who graduated in 2023 are apparently owed a staggering 15 months of unpaid allowances.

Current third-year trainees have accumulated 27 months in arrears, while second-year trainees are owed 17 months.

The statement signed by Robert Agbeti, spokesperson for the CCNMT, noted: "Approximately 30% of trainees have never received any allowances at all. And after completion trainees do not stand any chance of receiving their arrears owned by government as there is no arrangement put in place for that since the restoration of allowance..."

The coalition expressed frustration that despite government promises to restore and maintain the trainee allowance program, thousands of nurse and midwife trainees across the country are facing major financial hardship due to unpaid dues.

In its statement, the CCNMT called on the government to prioritize clearing the backlog of arrears and to ensure timely payments going forward.

Meanwhile, Vice President and NPP flagbearer Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has stated that money has been disbursed for the payment of the allowance next week.