President of the Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives (GCNM), Professor Mrs. Victoria Bam, has made an urgent appeal to the government to address the critical shortage of healthcare professionals by filling the vacancies left by over 4,000 nurses who have emigrated in search of better opportunities.

She emphasized that this is necessary to prevent the burnout and stress that could be experienced by the healthcare workers who remain in the country.

This appeal was made during an interview conducted on the sidelines of the College's 8th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and 4th Scientific Conference held in Gomoa Fetteh, Central region, under the theme "A decade of nursing and midwifery specialist education in Ghana: Innovation and high impact interventions towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC)."

Professor Bam expressed her concern about the alarming rate of nurse emigration, attributing it to poor remuneration and inadequate conditions of service that require improvement.

She emphasized that improving conditions of service encompasses not only salary but also the ability to meet healthcare workers' and their families' health and educational needs to make progress in life.

She said: “When we talk about conditions of service it’s not only the salary, but to meet the health and educational needs of their families and be able to make progress in life."

Additionally, Professor Bam highlighted the lack of essential resources in healthcare facilities and called on the government to provide the necessary resources to enable healthcare professionals to carry out their duties effectively.

Ms. Hannah Akua Oparebea Acquah, the Rector of GCNM, emphasized the importance of providing opportunities for professional growth through higher education as a means to motivate and retain healthcare professionals.

She said: “As a nurse, it is so frustrating when you know so well that you have the knowledge and skills to help a patient, but you lack basic resources to work.

“We have graduated nurses and midwives who are sitting at home. The more you use your skills, the more competent you become. We acknowledge the fact that there are financial challenges in the country, but the issue is that they are migrating and we need urgent action to curb the menace,” she added.

The former Registrar of the Nurses and Midwives Council, Reverend Mrs. Veronica Darko, stressed the importance of innovation, creativity, and commitment to improving healthcare for achieving Universal Health Coverage. She also expressed readiness to embrace emerging technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the healthcare system.

The Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu, highlighted the positive impact of empowering nurses and midwives through specialization on Ghana's progress towards achieving Universal Health Coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals.

He pledged the government's support for the growth and development of the College and the recognition and remuneration of specialized nurses and midwives.

The conference served as a platform for networking, idea-sharing, and discussions on challenges, progress, and future projections in the field of healthcare.

It also marked the 10th anniversary of specialist nursing and midwifery training in Ghana, during which new members were inducted into the College.