The immediate past President of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), Dr. Kwaku Asante-Krobea, has sharply criticised Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh over what he describes as the government’s poor handling of the ongoing nurses’ strike.
According to Dr. Asante-Krobea, the Minister’s comments and approach have only deepened tensions, accusing him of treating the striking nurses with “disrespect and disregard”.
“The Minister owes nurses an apology not because they’ve done anything wrong, but because of the way they’re being treated, his remarks have been downright insulting. Telling nurses to come back for negotiations in such a dismissive tone is not only unfair, it’s unprofessional,” Dr. Asante-Krobea said.
He accused the Ministry of Health of “playing games” instead of taking concrete steps to resolve the strike, and said the Minister’s failure to address nurses’ demands in a meaningful way is jeopardising patient care.
“They know the issues, and the solutions are not complicated. Even if you can’t meet every demand, leadership means meeting people halfway and showing good faith,” he stressed.
Dr. Asante-Krobea’s comments follow a June 10 press conference at which Minister Akandoh appealed to retired nurses and midwives to volunteer temporarily while the strike continues.
But Dr. Asante-Krobea found the appeal troubling and deflective.
He labelled the Minister’s comments “regrettable and disrespectful,” and called for a return to the negotiation table with a more respectful and solution-oriented approach.
“You don’t lead by issuing hollow appeals. Leadership is about listening, understanding, and acting with empathy,” he said on Adom FM.
Dr. Asante-Krobea concluded by urging nurses to remain united in their demands and called on the government to adopt a constructive and transparent approach to ending the strike.
