Privately trained nurses numbering about 100 have gathered at the Flagstaff House to protest against the government about their delayed postings.

According to the nurses, who belong to the Coalition of Unemployed Private Nurses (COUPN) and Ghana Association of Health Training Institutions (GAHTI), they bought posting forms in 2015 at a cost of GHS 30, but are yet to be given jobs to practise their profession.

Spokesperson for COUPN, John Nketsiah, who spoke with ClassFMonline.com Thursday May 5, explained: “In previous years, both private nurses and nurses trained in public institutions were posted at a go without any priority to any group, but recently the trend has changed with the private nurses being sidelined.”

He explained that the leadership of the private nurses met with the Health Ministry this year and were promised a quota but that has not materialised.

Forms currently on sale are not sold to private nurses but to only those from the public institutions, according to Mr Nketsiah.

The aggrieved nurses said they hope to present a petition to the president to address their grievances within the next ten days, else they would resort to other measures to have their problems resolved.

Below is a statement from the nurses:

MINISTRY OF HEALTH MUST EMPLOY/ POST NURSES FROM PRIVATE ACCREDITED HEALTH TRAINING INSTITUTIONS OR BE READY TO REFUND BACK POSTING FORM FEE WITH HIGH INTEREST.
****************************************
---GAHTI VOICES OUT ANGRILY

The National Executive Committee (NEC), the Leaders of Coalition of Unemployed Private Nurses (COUPN) and the entire student body of Ghana Association Of Health Training Institutions (GAHTI) wish to draw the attention of the general public that the government of Ghana through the Ministry of Health must within ten working days either post nurses from private accredited Health Training Institutions or be ready to refund back to her members posting form fee with high interest.

We are in the process of speaking to our lawyers, since our members who bought posting forms last year in 2015, still have their receipt intact with them.

We seem not to understand or get the clear meaning of what is actually happening, and again consider the whole thing as trick or deceit on our part, because out of over 1000 members who bought national posting form in 2015, not a single person has been posted and are still at home, all in the name of ORDERS from above.

One most annoying and aggravating part of this whole issue is that government has ordered not to sell the ongoing posting forms to private trained nurses as it appears on notices like " POSTING FORMS ARE NOT BEING SOLD TO PRIVATE NURSES" in all sales centres.

How is this possible? So government knew all these and in last year 2015, sold posting form to our members and has not posted or employed them till now? For Christ sake this is totally not fair and absolutely wrong.

What we know for a fact is that our members always get posted/ employed by government anytime they buy national posting forms, so if there is a change in plan, definitely it should not affect them in anyway particularly those who bought the posting form last year.

Since authorities/officials have refused to attend to our plight through negotiation and in dialogues, way back January this year 2016, and also knowing very well that they sold posting forms to our members, we humbly entreat that they come again to look at this critical issue once more and resolve it peacefully or amicably.

Finally, we want to state it emphatically to the government of Ghana through the Ministry of Health with the same ORDERS from above that it is either they commence posting of nurses from private accredited health training institutions now and in ten working days or get ready to refund the posting form fee back to our members with high interest else we shall never keep mute, make noise and would continue to prove to Ghanaians and the whole world through all legal means that, the government of Ghana has deceived our members of employment through the sales of national posting forms.

****signed****

National Secretary, GAHTI
EMMANUEL ANTWI MORRISON

National President, GAHTI
DOMINIC OTUO SEREBOUR

Spokesperson, COUPN
JOHN NKETSIAH

MRS.BEATRICE AGYEI PEPRAH