The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has confirmed that 15,200 health professionals have received financial clearance, addressing recent concerns about delays and challenges in the recruitment process.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Monday, February 24, Philemon Gyapong, the Association’s Assistant National Public Relations Officer, emphasized that financial clearance has become central to securing employment in the health sector.

“If you don’t have financial clearance, it means you have not been budgeted for, and the government doesn’t have a provision for your salary,” Mr. Gyapong explained.

He highlighted how the recruitment process has changed compared to previous years when newly employed health workers could work for months without being placed on the government payroll.

“That is what has changed from the previous recruitment process, where you go to work, and it takes a bit of time, like six months, one year, before they are put on a payroll.

"At the moment, you are given financial clearance. It means you have been budgeted for,” he said.

Responding to recent concerns about potential unauthorized recruitments, Mr. Gyapong confirmed that the Association only recognizes the clearance granted for 15,200 professionals.

“The 15,200 which we are aware of have financial clearance. I don’t know of any outside recruitment. There is no recruitment outside of that that we are aware of,” he clarified.

Addressing speculations about a potential strike, he dismissed any notion of an immediate threat, explaining that earlier remarks from the Association were intended as guidance for the government.

“I think we cautioned the government on its directive—we were giving them advice, let me put it that way,” he clarified.

Mr. Gyapong also raised concerns about the delays faced by nurses and midwives who have been unemployed for several years after completing their training. He warned that laying off these professionals due to incomplete bureaucratic processes would be unjust.

“If nurses and midwives, who are also the youth of this country, who have stayed on for four to five years post-training, are laid off based on the fact that maybe their financial clearance process didn’t complete before a certain period, it will be very unfair to do that,” he emphasized.

Providing some reassurance, Mr. Gyapong stated that the Ministry of Health had committed to adhering strictly to the recruitment guidelines and ensuring that only those with proper financial clearance would be affected.

“The ministry has made us aware that they are going to stick to the directives based on the emphasis they laid—those who went through due process and were given financial clearance are not supposed to go home,” he assured.