Deputy Health Minister buys time for government

Deputy Ministry of Health, has bought some respite, after her bosses’ promise to post the 8,000 jobless public health nurses and midwives by the close of March, this year.

Although, her earlier promise had failed to materialise, Tina Mensah, managed to strike another agreement with the picketing health professionals, pledging to ensure they were posted next month.

Her arrangement comes on the heels of a similar agreement between President Nana Akufo-Addo and the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu on one hand and the leadership of Ghana-Midwife Trainees’ Association on the hand in September, 2017 at the Flagstaff House – Accra, which was not honoured.

Interestingly, the same Tina Mensah, had previously told the nurses and midwives, government was unable to post them, because they were not bonded. But from the look of things, Ms Mensah, has taken back her words, and is putting measures in place to post them by close of March.

This was after the jobless nurses returned to the Health Ministry to picket after they were dispersed by the police.

The protesting nurses were chanting “2020 we go show Nana” to convey their displeasure with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.

Ms. Mensah’s comment, had infuriated the aggrieved nurses and midwives forcing them to unexpectedly besiege the premises of the Health Ministry. Their presence was met with stiff opposition by the Police.

The Police, according to the President of the Ghana-Midwife Trainees’ Association, Batiah Semi-Ulah-Santi, “used maximum force” to get them out of the Ministry.

The Accra Regional Operations Officer of the Ghana Police Service, Chief Superintendent, Kwesi Fori, who was at the scene, told the media they would ensure the students do not return.

“I have spoken to them about the Police Order Law; I have spoken to them that in a democracy you can misconduct yourself-that borders on public decency. The Police are taking this decision within the ambit of the law so they should go home and use the proper procedural means to address their situation.

We cannot allow them to sleep here and if they engage in acts of lawlessness, we will use every appropriate means within democratic policing to get them out of here”, he warned.

The unemployed nurses and midwives numbering 200, a fraction of the eight thousand, passed the night at the car park of Kanda-based TV3.

On Tuesday morning, they returned to the Ministry to demand their posting. Not even the heavy downpour in Accra, could stop them from demanding what they say rightfully belongs to them.

Sensing seriousness of their agitation, Ms Mensah, called for a meeting between the two parties during which she pleaded for more time to seek clearance with the Ministry of Finance.

“The Deputy Minister addressed us on Tuesday and she said that financial clearance, will be ready by the end of March”, Batiah Semi-Ulah-Santi, disclosed.

He assured that in the unlikely event they are not posted by close of the stipulated time, “we will go there in April so that she won’t have any excuse”, he told The Herald.

On this same posting, the Association last Thursday, presented a petition to Parliament to intervene on their behalf.

The petition presented to the Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye, had the likes of Majority and Minority Leaders, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu and Haruna Iddrisu, Flagstaff House among others copied.

They are yet to hear from the legislators.