The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, would have an encounter with the media today, Monday, October 13.
The agenda according to a statement from the Ministry, is basically to address concerns regarding unpaid salaries and other related human resource issues.’
The meeting will come off at the Ministry at 9am at Ridge in Accra. It is the first the Minister is having with the press after some unpaid nurses hit the street, demanding payment of their salaries.
Employed in 2024 during the elocutionary period, the nurses say they have not been paid for 10 months.It took the same Minister and the Deputy Finance Minister Ampem Nyarko who both separately received their petitions to assure them that government will work on their issues.
In what looked like labour unrest of a sort, some junior doctors across the country also threatened to strike over the same unpaid salaries. They had also not been paid since last year.
The government had call them into a meeting to assure them steps are being taken to resolve their issues following which they called off the intended strike.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Health has asked that an ongoing investigation against one of the nurses who demonstrated Bernice Aboagye be stopped.
She was caught in a video during the demonstration unprofessionally misconducting and calling Mintah Akandoh names. Many, who watched the video expressed disappointment at her outburst. Some had even demanded that Aboagye, who is a Staff Nurse be sacked from her post.
The Ghana Health Service subsequently initiated an investigation into the issue.
But the Ministry in a statement issued on Sunday October 12 said the sector minister is grateful to the Service for acting promptly to uphold the profession and the Code of Conduct.
The statement went further to say that the Minister wishes that the process be stopped.
“However, Hon. Akandoh has appealed to the Service to temper justice with mercy in addressing the matter. According to him, both he and the government welcome divergent views and constructive criticism as part his commitment to fostering tolerance and openness to diverse opinions”.
He urged all health workers to express their opinions in a responsible and respectful manner devoid of insults.
The statement added that it has no objection to professionals expressing their views through demonstration but cautioned that, this should be done in a civilized manner.
“The Ministry urges all health workers to express their opinions responsibly and respectfully, without resorting to insults, as this contribute to the healthy Growth and development of the health sector.
The Ministry wishes to emphasize that it has no objection to demonstrations, as they are legitimate expressions of frustration and constitutional right of every citizen. However, the Ministry will not condone the use of abusive language or acts of indiscipline during such demonstrations”, the statement signed by Head, Health Training Institutions and Spokesperson.
By Gifty Boateng