GHANA is grappling with a growing nurse shortage crisis as nearly 4,000 healthcare professionals have departed for higher-paying opportunities in Europe and the United States over the past year, according to the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA). The exodus worsens existing shortages, placing increased strain on the remaining medical staff.
Between January and July 2023, nearly 10,209 nurses sought clearance from the GRNMA to work abroad, with around 4,000 nurses having already embarked on overseas nursing careers, reveals Dr. David Tenkorang-Twum, the general secretary of the GRNMA. ‘Of this total, approximately 4,000 nurses received clearance and have already embarked on overseas nursing careers,’ he told French broadcaster RFI.
The impact is particularly noticeable in critical care units, with the Greater Accra Regional Hospital losing 20 nurses to the UK and US in the last six months, according to Gifty Aryee, the head of nursing.
At the Cape Coast Municipal Hospital, Deputy Head of Nursing Services Caroline Agbodza reports that 22 nurses have left for the UK over the past year. The departure of experienced nurses is not only straining those who remain but also poses a challenge for new entrants to the profession, as there are now fewer mentors available. ‘All our critical care nurses, our experienced nurses, have gone,’ she told RFI.
Financial incentives abroad, dissatisfaction with working conditions, and inadequate salaries are cited as primary reasons for the ongoing nurse exodus. Nurse Mercy Asare Afriyie at Kwaso Healthcare Centre near Kumasi, the country’s second largest city, explains that poor conditions of service, coupled with inadequate salaries, drive nurses to seek opportunities abroad. Yaa Pomaa, a Ghanaian nurse in Birmingham, UK, emphasises the significant financial incentives that attract nurses overseas.
The nurse shortage not only affects urban areas but also exacerbates existing challenges in rural regions. The situation threatens progress towards health-related United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Ghanaian Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang Manu acknowledges the issue and outlines efforts to streamline migration policies for health professionals, aiming for mutually beneficial bilateral agreements that ensure financial and brain gain from international deployments.
As Ghana grapples with the implications of the ongoing nurse shortage, it underscores the need for comprehensive strategies to address working conditions, salaries, and retention initiatives within the healthcare sector.