Unpaid Nurses and Midwives Take to Streets in Accra, Demanding 10-Month Salary Arrears
October 2, 2025, marching through the capital to demand the government settle nearly 10 months of unpaid salaries affecting over 7,000 health workers. Organized by the Coalition of Unpaid Nurses and Midwives Association, the demonstration highlighted the severe financial and emotional toll on frontline professionals who have been serving in public facilities without compensation since early 2025.
Coalition spokesperson Francisca Addo, speaking amid chants and placards reading “Pay Us Our Salaries Now” and “Healthcare Workers Deserve Better,” revealed that while 6,500 colleagues received payments starting in April, around 500 remain in limbo. “We are not comfortable hitting the streets, but it has become necessary. We are citizens, trained professionals from nursing colleges and universities, yet we’re struggling to survive,” she said, her voice cracking as she detailed how delays are forcing some to borrow from landlords or skip meals. One protesting nurse, working at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital from her base in Pantang, broke down recounting eviction threats over unpaid rent.
The arrears stem from bureaucratic delays in payroll integration for newly recruited staff, despite earlier government pledges. In September 2025, the Health Ministry added 13,500 nurses to the payroll and cleared some allowances, but the coalition insists transparency is lacking on the remaining cases. Previous protests in August (over 8 months) and a threatened September walkout underscore the escalating frustration, with workers warning that burnout could compromise patient care.
Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Ampem Nyarko met protesters briefly, assuring resolution in the upcoming budget: “Your outstanding arrears will be addressed… The government is committed to this.” The Ministries of Health and Finance have yet to release a firm timeline, but the coalition vows sustained action if unmet. This crisis echoes a June 2025 nationwide strike by 128,000 health workers over unfulfilled conditions of service, costing GH¢2 billion to resolve, per the Finance Ministry.
As Ghana grapples with healthcare staffing shortages—exacerbated by migration—experts urge swift payments to retain talent and maintain service quality. The protest ended peacefully at the Ministry of Health, but voices grow louder: “Our dedication shouldn’t come at the cost of our dignity.”
