Coalition of Unpaid Nurses and Midwives have taken to the streets to demand the payment of salary arrears of 9-10 months.
Nurses and midwives from across the country are marching on the streets of Accra this morning, October 2, in a peaceful protest to demand the payment of salaries owed them.
The demonstrators gathered at the Afua Sutherland Children’s Park, where they began their march holding placards and chanting, “Ato, we are hungry!”
This is a direct appeal to the Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson.
Members of the coalition, which represents over 7,000 professionals nationwide, expressed their frustration to reporters.
“We are suffering. When are they going to pay us? Before the money comes, we are all sick,” one nurse stressed.
Another lamented, “We can’t be on the wards and advise patients to eat three times a day to stay healthy when we ourselves cannot even afford two square meals. We need our pay.”
Another member says that the protest will continue until their funds are released.
“The should sign the clearance for us now now now, or else we’re not leaving this place. We will sleep here,” she assured.
The coalition says several petitions and appeals to the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance have gone unanswered.
The protest is the latest in a series of actions by public sector workers who say delays in salary payments are undermining morale and the quality of service delivery.
