Brain Drain: 4,000 nurses left Ghana between January and July this year – GRNMA General Secretary

Between the 1st of January and the 7th of July, 2023, a total of 10,209 nurses applied for exit permission from the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) Secretariate in order to leave the nation in search of better opportunities.

Approximately 4,000 of those individuals have been given the all-clear to leave the country and pursue careers as nurses elsewhere.

This information was provided by Dr. David Tenkorang-Twum, General Secretary of the GRNMA, during an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA).

He stated that the rampant exodus was having an effect on the healthcare system because many of those leaving were experienced nurses who were supposed to mentor the younger ones. He said this was one of the reasons why the system was being negatively affected.

According to Dr. David Tenkorang-Twum, the scenario was causing a staff shortage, which placed strain on the employees who were still working.

"Nursing care is a continuous process, and if the individuals who were supposed to relieve you have gone on vacation, it indicates that you need to put in a few extra hours, which might lead to problems associated with an excessive amount of work.

"Someone who has worked in their field for a significant amount of time has accumulated a significant amount of knowledge and expertise on which we must rely.

"There is going to be a gap between the newly qualified and the very old because those who have served up to 10 years are leaving, so who is there to mentor the new ones that are coming?" "Who is there to mentor the new ones that are coming?"

He blamed the predicament on the challenging state of the economy in the nation, stating, "The only thing that can resolve this matter is to improve the service condition of nurses, and what comes to mind is our premium..."

The General Secretary added that a further topic of worry was the delay in employing fresh graduates, adding that fresh graduates would be enticed to migrate or find other profitable positions when they were not given clearance and instant employment.

If we involve them as soon as they finish their training or military service, we can reduce the likelihood that they will leave our country in search of greener pastures. "Even if some leave, only a few people will leave," he added. "Even if some leave, only a few people will leave."

In a recent interview, the Vice President of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Dr. Justice Yankson, encouraged the government to make improvements to the working circumstances of health professionals in order to encourage a greater number of them to remain in the nation and continue working for the government.

He warned that the provision of high-quality medical treatment would be jeopardised in the absence of any form of intervention.