Demonstrating nurses are 'ignorant' – Health Minister

The Health Minister, Mr. Kwaku Agyemang-Manu has debunked claims by demonstrating nurses camping outside the premises of the Health Ministry suggesting they have been bonded with government and as such needed to be offered jobs by the ministry.

Mr. Agyemang-Manu, in an interview on Top FM Morning show “Ghana te sen” said, the position taken by the agitating nurses is informed by their ignorance in understanding issues.

According to the 61-year-old minister who is also the ruling NPP member of parliament (MP) for Dormaa Central Constituency in the Brong Ahafo Region, he was currently working on the financial clearance of the nurses with the Finance Ministry; a process he said will take some time.

"They don’t want to understand anything we say, I am working on their clearance and you know financial clearance is not done overnight, it takes some time," he explained.

He added, “They are not bonded as you claim; I understand their frustration and we are only sympathizing with them. Some of them failed their exams and were referred. In fact most of them have a wide range of issues, yet are refusing to be patient and are rather resorting to demonstrating. I don’t have a problem with them demonstrating, it’s their right,” Mr. Agyemang-Manu lamented.

The former Public Accounts Committee chairman said he was not in the state of comforting the demonstrating nurses.

Scores of trained nurses camped outside the Health Ministry Monday April 24, 2017 to register their displeasure over the time it is taking government to post them after more than nine months of completing their diploma in nursing programmes.