The Union of Professional Nurses and Midwives of Ghana (UPNMG) has issued an urgent call for policy action to address worsening working conditions for healthcare workers across the Upper West Region, warning that the crisis poses a direct threat to the standard of care patients receive.
The alarm was raised at the Union’s regional conference in Wa, held under the theme “Who Cares for the Caregiver: The Plight of the Ghanaian Nurse,” where leadership at both regional and national levels outlined a pattern of systemic strain affecting nurses and midwives throughout the region’s health facilities.
Acting Regional President Kenneth Naaeder described the daily realities facing healthcare workers as overwhelming, with nurses and midwives regularly enduring extended shifts, heavy patient loads, and inadequate rest due to chronic understaffing. He warned that the conditions have triggered widespread burnout and emotional stress across the workforce, adding that workers also face daily exposure to infections, psychological trauma, and instances of verbal and physical abuse within facilities that lack the resources to adequately protect them.
National President Maxwell Oduro Yeboah placed the issue in terms that the Union says should drive government policy, arguing that the welfare of caregivers and the quality of patient care cannot be separated.
“If caregivers are not well taken care of, it will inevitably affect service delivery. We need policies that prioritise the health, safety and well-being of nurses and midwives,” he said.
The UPNMG outlined a set of concrete demands, calling for the immediate recruitment and timely posting of trained nurses to active facilities, equitable distribution of staff to underserved areas, improved working conditions, better remuneration, and the creation of dedicated mental health support systems for healthcare workers.
Upper West Regional Minister Charles Lwanga Puozuing, who addressed the conference, acknowledged the challenges raised and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to reform through targeted interventions on remuneration, infrastructure, and professional development. He also urged nurses and midwives to uphold high professional standards, noting that discipline, compassion, and ethical conduct are fundamental to sustaining public trust in the healthcare system.
