The Ghana Nurses and Midwives Trainees Association (GNMTA) has expressed mounting frustration over the delay in receiving their allowances, despite assurances from Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. The Association reports that the Vice President’s pledge to clear about 13 months of arrears has yet to materialize.
In an interview in Accra, GNMTA President Pascal Adombillah conveyed the growing impatience among nursing trainees. “For now, we have not had any updates regarding the allowance,” Adombillah stated. “There is usually clear-cut communication about the payment date, but we have heard nothing. Even the Vice President indicated that the allowance was supposed to be paid on Thursday. We have not had any information or updates on whether the money was released to the Controller and Accountant General’s Department for the students to be paid.”
Vice President Dr. Bawumia, on May 14, assured nursing trainees that the government would settle all outstanding debts. He announced that the Ministry of Finance had approved a sum of 177 million Ghana cedis to be disbursed to trainee nurses across the country. “This Thursday, the Controller is transferring GH¢177 million to the Ministry of Health to pay the nursing training allowances,” Dr. Bawumia declared at a meeting with nurses and midwives in Accra. “I have alerted Dr. Okoe-Boye to be on standby. When the money hits the Ministry of Health account, they should move it quickly to the accounts of the nursing trainees so that they will have their alawa. It will drop.”
Despite these assurances, the GNMTA remains in the dark about the status of the payments. The delay has heightened anxiety among trainees, who are relying on these funds for their sustenance and academic needs.
Adombillah called for urgent action to fulfill the Vice President’s commitment. “We have had enough of this,” he said. “It is crucial that the promised funds are transferred without further delay to ease the financial burdens on our members.”
The unresolved situation has sparked widespread concern and frustration, with many questioning the government’s commitment to supporting nursing trainees. As the GNMTA awaits the promised funds, the call for prompt and transparent communication from relevant authorities grows louder.
The delay in disbursing the allowances underscores the challenges faced by nursing trainees in Ghana, highlighting the need for timely and reliable financial support from the government. The resolution of this issue is critical not only for the trainees’ welfare but also for maintaining trust in governmental promises and commitments.
