The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) recently revealed a troubling trend in the healthcare sector: almost 4,000 of its members left Ghana for European nations in the first seven months of 2023.
The fundamental reason for this considerable brain drain is the country’s insufficient salary and overall working conditions for nurses and midwives.
The GRNMA expressed their disappointment, noting successive governments’ failure to solve these challenges, not only for nurses and midwives, but also for healthcare workers in general.
However, the GRNMA recognizes that the problem extends beyond Ghana’s borders.
Nurses and midwives are emigrating to wealthy countries across the West African sub-region in pursuit of better working conditions.
This substantial migration of healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, and midwives, is putting a huge strain on these developing countries’ healthcare systems.
The departure of these trained experts leaves a tough hole to fill, putting an extra burden on already stressed healthcare systems in these areas.
The scenario in Ghana exemplifies a larger trend in the developing world, in which healthcare professionals seek opportunities in Europe and North America due to the appeal of better working circumstances and salaries.
The impact on these countries’ healthcare systems is significant, as they struggle to replace departed talent.
This phenomenon highlights the critical need for thorough reform and investment in the healthcare sector throughout emerging countries in order to retain and recruit healthcare professionals, ensuring the supply of quality healthcare services to their populations.
Addressing this issue is critical to averting future degradation of these regions’ healthcare systems and delivering better health outcomes for all.
“The truth is that our salaries as nurses and midwives in Ghana are not the best. But I’m also aware that it’s not just Ghana.
A similar problem exists inside the sub-region and throughout Africa. As a result, the issue of the movement of nurses from Ghana affects more than just Ghana. Travel to Nigeria. Visit the Ivory Coast. Travel to other nations.
They are departing. They are going because the salary and other working conditions are poor,” GRNMA President Perpetual Ofori Ampofo said in an interview with Citi News on Thursday.
