Unpaid Nurses and Midwives Association Set to Embark on 3-Day Protest
By Praisebell Rosemond Larbi
The Coalition of Unpaid Nurses and Midwives Association has announced plans to embark on a three-day nationwide protest from September 23 to 25, 2025, over what it describes as the government’s failure to pay more than seven months of salary arrears.
The demonstration, which will be staged simultaneously in Accra and Tamale, is expected to draw participation from over 7,000 affected nurses and midwives. According to the coalition, members have endured severe financial hardship despite having received financial clearance and completing all official recruitment processes.
In a statement signed by its national convener, Stephen K. Takyiah, the coalition outlined its intention to picket continuously at the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance until their concerns are addressed.
“Since January this year, our members have worked diligently in various health facilities across the country. Yet, we have not received a single salary. This has pushed many of us into severe financial and emotional distress, making it difficult to provide for our families, pay rent, and afford basic necessities,” the statement read.
The nurses also expressed frustration at what they described as contradictions from government authorities on the matter. They questioned how some of their colleagues recruited under the same financial clearance have been paid, while others remain without compensation.
“How can financial clearance ‘expire’ after a nurse or midwife has already been granted access to the Ministry’s official recruitment portal? How is it possible that the same clearance gets some people paid, yet others recruited under the same process are left to suffer under the excuse of expiration?” the group queried.
Earlier, the Ministry of Health had indicated that more than 7,000 nurses and midwives had been paid, a claim the coalition disputes. They are demanding transparency on the actual number of beneficiaries, the specific payments made, and a definite timeline for settling outstanding arrears.
The looming protest adds to growing agitation within the health sector, where workers argue that persistent delays in remuneration undermine morale and the delivery of critical healthcare services. The coalition insists that unless the government provides clarity and takes urgent action to resolve the salary arrears, the demonstrations will continue beyond the scheduled three days.
