The impact of the ongoing strike by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) is being felt sharply at the Wa Municipal Hospital, where patient turnout has plummeted and the once-busy Out-Patient Department (OPD) now sits eerily quiet.
A visit by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) around 10:30 a.m. on Monday revealed an almost empty OPD, with only student nurses on attachment seen at their posts. Regular nursing staff were conspicuously absent, creating a vacuum in service delivery at one of the municipality’s main health facilities.
Hospital Administrator Mr. Samson Abu confirmed that the strike had significantly disrupted operations, pushing many residents to seek care at private hospitals and clinics.
“Patients have heard about the strike, and that alone is making them stay away. They now prefer to go to private facilities where they are assured of receiving care,” he explained.
What’s more worrying for hospital management is the gradual withdrawal of nurses affiliated with other professional bodies. According to Mr. Abu, some nurses who belong to unions other than the GRNMA are quietly staying away from duty, claiming dual membership.
“That is the worst part of it. We had expected the other unions to stay and support the system, but unfortunately, some are saying they are also part of GRNMA,” he said with concern.
Despite the setbacks, Mr. Abu acknowledged a few nurses who had shown up out of humanitarian concern and applauded their dedication. He added that the Union of Professional Nurses and Midwives, Ghana (UPNMG), had encouraged its members to continue working.
The hospital is now depending heavily on student nurses and the few active staff to provide limited services. Mr. Abu appealed to the rest of the nursing staff not to abandon their posts, while also urging the government to respond swiftly to the demands of the GRNMA to resolve the crisis and prevent further harm to public health.
Meanwhile, services at the Upper West Regional Hospital were reported to be running normally. However, a visit to the Homeland Clinic, a private facility in Wa, showed unusually long queues at its OPD, reflecting the pressure being absorbed by private healthcare providers amid the strike.
