Nurses have received praise from the president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, for their dedication and sacrifices made to advance the nation's healthcare system.
According to him, nurses are essential to the establishment of a strong healthcare system and the growth of the country, and as such, they deserve praise.
Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, the Chief of Staff, announced the celebration of this year's International Nurses Day in Accra yesterday. She said the president was particularly moved by the nation's nurses' selfless dedication to serving as frontline combatants in the fight against the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
As part of the nation's 66th Independence Day celebration, she added, "In fact, you deserve the presidential honor for distinguished service given to all health workers nationwide."
Day
Our nurses, our future is the remembrance's worldwide theme, while "our nurses and midwives, our future" was the focus of the local memorial.
Every May 12, Nurses Across the Globe Day is observed as a day to honor and recognize nurses for their tremendous contributions to mankind and to reflect on the obstacles they have faced in seeking justice.
Additionally, Florence Nightingale, the mother of modern nursing, is being honored on her birthday.
Indeed, a healthy population boosts production, according to Mrs. Osei-Opare, and the commemoration offers a chance to consider the demands and functions of nurses and midwives.
According to the study, there are fewer nurses needed globally; however, WHO statistics revealed that Ghana needs more nurses and midwives because of the country's high maternal mortality rate, mostly brought on by, among other things, looking for better pastures.
A more planned approach to educating and retaining nurses would assist in appropriately preparing for any prospective pandemic, in keeping with this troubling trend.
"I thus give the association the urgent job of reorienting and sensitizing its members to the need to continue their commitment to serve Ghanaians.
The government is dedicated to enhancing local healthcare infrastructure and providing the necessary resources for the required output because it is well established that a country's prosperity depends on the health of its population.
Challenges
The issues faced by nurses and midwives should also be quickly addressed, according to Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, president of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association.
According to her, delivering high-quality healthcare services has significant logistical challenges.
She said that the ongoing use of antiquated equipment and the scarcity of drugs and other consumables put patient lives in danger. She claimed that nurses lack the current equipment necessary to provide patients with proper treatment locally.
Other issues raised by Mrs. Ofori-Ampofo were bad working conditions for nurses, inadequate pay, unpaid allowances, and newly qualified nurses who are unemployed.
She said that after 2.5 years, the nurse educators' book and research allowances had still not been put into practice.
She urged the ministry to expedite the implementation because the group had provided comprehensive information on nurse educators who were eligible for that benefit.
She also said that promotion and study leave were difficult for nurses.
Nurses
"For instance, post-basic nurses who have focused on ophthalmic nursing, ear, nose, and throat (ENT), and other specialties have complained about their inability to advance due to the justification that there needed to be openings before they could be promoted, and so on, throughout the course of the term.
"In my opinion, there can only be one head of nursing services at any given time, but they may still be promoted to allow for an increase in their working circumstances to make life simpler for professionals.
According to the event's chair, Nana Kobina Nketsia, the Omanhene of Essikado Traditional Area, genuine nurses are unafraid of difficulties.
Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, praised nurses and midwives for their contributions to the local and international fight against COVID-19 in a speech that was read on his behalf.
That suggests that their problems need to be seriously analyzed.
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