Accra, Ghana – June 11, 2025
Engineer and policy analyst Michael Kosi Dedey has taken aim at the government’s handling of the ongoing strike by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), describing the appeal to retired nurses and midwives as both unrealistic and emblematic of poor leadership.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Wednesday, Mr. Dedey said the Ministry of Health, led by the current minister, failed to engage proactively with health professionals when the warning signs first emerged.
“When he came into office, this was an issue already on the table,” Dedey stated. “He was going round fighting chief executives in this country of hospitals instead of sitting down and saying that these are issues that we need to look at. How do we go about it?”
He accused the Health Minister of prioritising power struggles over substantive dialogue with key stakeholders in the health sector. According to Dedey, this approach led to an avoidable escalation of tensions.
In response to the government’s recent appeal to retired health professionals to volunteer and fill in for striking staff, Dedey was blunt:
“He waited for the people to go on strike and later came and told them retirees should volunteer. How is that possible? You think the retirees will come? Let us get real — it is not going to happen. Nobody will come anywhere.”
Strike Continues Unabated
The nationwide industrial action, launched after the GRNMA rejected government proposals to defer implementation of new conditions of service until 2026, has caused serious disruptions across the country’s healthcare system. Public hospitals, emergency units, and especially maternity centres are struggling to maintain operations, with many patients left stranded or unattended.
The strike has intensified calls from civil society groups and health advocates for urgent and genuine negotiations between the government and health sector unions.
As of now, there is no clear resolution in sight, and the fallout from the strike continues to grow.
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