Nurses' Numerical Strength Drops

Statistics of nurses from the Human Resource Division of the Ministry of Health indicates that the numerical strength of nurses in the country has fallen from 12,700 to 11,344 as at the year 2000, as its number is not able to meet the health needs of the patients admitted at the hospital.

Disclosing this to the Chronicle last week in an exclusive interview, Dr. Ken Sagoe, the Director of the Human Resource Division of the Ministry of Health , said the division trains between 150,000 and 200,000 nurses every year, including those already on the field but want to upgrade their knowledge in the profession.

The numerical strength of the nurses, he said, fell as a result of them leaving to other countries to seek greener pastures .

Among other things, he said they leave due to the poor local conditions and salary levels of nurses in this country.

Dr. Sagoe also identified career development as one of their needs, which has not been satisfied over the years as a cause which amounted to the frightening situation of nurses in the country.

According to him, they normally travel to the United Kingdom (U.K) as a way of helping its government to meet its shortage of more than 17,000 nurses ,by recruiting about 3,500 nurses worldwide.

To achieve this, he said, the U.K has agents in Ghana who move from house to house to offer them tempting working packages in the U.K and also facilitate them with visa to their country.

Asked what the division has done to arrest the situation, he told the Chronicle that the division has sent proposals to the government through the ministry to cabinet to increase the salary levels of nurses as well as improving upon their working conditions.

In order for them to know more about their profession , Chronicle was told that the division offers them intensive training in communication skills, and interpersonal relations, among others.

Explaining further, he noted the division intends to start courses in child care and ear and throat so as to keep their interest in the profession, adding the division will also support some industrious nurses to continue their studies to the master's level at the universities of Ghana, Legon, and Cape Coast respectively.

Statistically, he stated that about 50% of the nurses resign from their profession, while the remaining vacate their jobs without pay as a way of leaving their profession to travel abroad.

Commenting on why some nurses refuse to work in the deprived parts of the country when posted to, Chronicle gathered that conflicts in some parts of the country do not make them move to such areas, as they complain of the areas not having places to accommodate them.

Touching on discipline, he said the nurses are counselled on the code of professional conduct and etiquette to enhance the care of patients admitted at the hospitals.

Finally, he called on the government to have a multiple approach to the problems faced by the nurses by increasing their salary.