Let’s halt health sector strikes with a comprehensive health policy – MP

Dr. Sebastian Sandaare, Deputy Chairman of the Parliament’s Health Committee and MP for Daffiama-Bussie-Issa, has called for a comprehensive health policy to address the persistent labour unrest in Ghana’s health sector.

He made the remarks in reaction to the ongoing strike by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA).

Speaking in an interview with ExpressNewsGhana in Parliament on Thursday, June 12, 2025, on the impact of the industrial action, Dr. Sandaare noted that the absence of nurses and midwives from health facilities has dire consequences for patients and the nation’s healthcare delivery.

“The health sector is a critical one. Nurses and midwives play an essential role in patient care. When they are not available, it results in severe morbidities and avoidable deaths,” he said.

He emphasized the need for a holistic review of the health sector to address the root causes of such strikes, adding that the current piecemeal approach is unsustainable.

“The health workforce is made up of various professional groups. Solving the concerns of one group without addressing the broader needs only creates room for another group to lay down their tools,” Dr. Sandaare stated.

“We need a well-structured, all-encompassing policy that ensures equity and long-term stability across the sector.”

Reacting to suggestions that health workers should be recruited under a security service model to prevent them from striking, Dr. Sandaare rejected the idea.

“I don’t believe the solution lies in militarizing the health workforce. Ghana trains some of the best health professionals in the world. What we need is to create an environment where they are adequately motivated, resourced, and respected,” he said.

He added that while security-style training may help instill discipline during professional development, it should not form the basis of health worker recruitment or management.

Dr. Sandaare also touched on the increasing emigration of Ghanaian health workers, attributing it to poor working conditions and lack of motivation.

“When our nurses and doctors go abroad, they excel. It’s not about discipline. It’s about the systems they work in. If we want to retain them, we must fix those systemic issues here,” he stressed.

Appealing directly to striking nurses and midwives, the MP acknowledged their right to demand better conditions of service but urged them to consider the plight of patients.

“They have every right to bargain. But I appeal to them to think of the ordinary Ghanaian who walks into a hospital and finds no nurse to attend to them. People are dying needlessly,” he said.

He further urged all stakeholders – including the government, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, and the Ministry of Health – to engage the nurses in good faith to reach a lasting solution.

“Negotiations can and must continue, but lives should not be lost in the process. Let us find a path forward that prioritizes both the welfare of health workers and the health of the nation,” he concluded.

Source: Expressnewsghana.com