Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has announced that the cabinet has given the green light for the payment of 13,500 unpaid nurses, midwives.
The Health Minister further announced that the government will start paying all nurses and midwives owed salary arrears from November.
According to him, the Cabinet has approved that the finance minister immediately pay 13,500 nurses and midwives starting from November.
Speaking to the media in Accra on Monday, October 13, Mr Akandoh detailed, “As I speak to you now, about 6,500, that will add up to the 7,000 already being paid, making 13,500; that’s a lot, that’s over 6,000. The Cabinet has approved that with immediate effect. Starting from November, the Minister for Finance must pay them. And I have in my hand the letter to that effect”
“And so these were the difficulties. I empathise with anybody who has had to go through this painful situation. And it is important for Ghanaians to be taken care of,” he added.
He further revealed that he has secured financial clearance for the payment of some 17,909 nurses, midwives, and allied health interns who started their national service in early 2024.
Mr Akandoh detailed, “Financial clearance secured for payment of the 17,909 nurses, midwives, and allied health interns who started their national service in early 2024. Financial clearance secured for 13,500 recruited and posted late last year [2024], with their financial clearance expiring by 31st December 2024”.
“The Ministry is putting in place measures as part of a broader agenda to strengthen Ghana’s health system and ensure the welfare of its workforce,” he stated.
This news comes after the Coalition of Unpaid Nurses and Midwives on Thursday, October 2, 2025, staged a protest to demand their salary arrears owed by the government.
According to the nurses and midwives, about 7,000 of them have been working without salaries for the past nine to 10 months.
Speaking to the media, the unpaid nurse stated, “May God punish any government and its entire generation that leaves nurses’ salaries unpaid and causes nurses to resort to prostitution for money”.
Another protesting nurse also warned the John Mahama-NDC government that a hungry nurse is a potential killer.
According to the nurse, the government must pay them now, as enough is enough.
He emphasised that to be a nurse in Ghana is not a crime and that Ghanaian nurses deserve better.
The nurse speaking to the media during the protest demanded, “A hungry nurse is a potential killer. Pay us now, we are dying. A hungry nurse is a potential killer. Pay us now, enough is enough. Is it a crime to be a nurse in Ghana? Nurses deserve better. Enough is enough”.
Additionally, a teary nurse has broken down as she recounted how she has not been paid for the past 10 months despite the hard work and stress of her job at the Korle Bu hospital.
The nurse revealed that her situation has become dire, with her rent due and no means to pay.
Speaking in a viral video, the teary nurse stated, “We are just pleading with the government to pay us, we have been working for ten good months without salaries. Personally, my rent expired in August, and I have not been able to pay. My landlord is always asking When are you going to pay?
I have been asking for time. I stay at Pentang and I work in Korle Bu, I take transportation for 42 cedis to work every day. How do they expect me to get that money to come to work?”
She further added, “I am doing my work at the Hospital, just for the minister to tell me he appreciates what I am doing, what kind of appreciation, which form of appreciation. How can somebody work for ten good months, and you tell the person you appreciate them?
I cannot stand it, I am owing rent, what should I do to be able to pay my rent, they should pay us enough, it’s enough. You cannot even ask somebody for money the moment you text the person, they think you are coming to beg”.
Her experience reflects the plight of several newly recruited nurses and midwives, who today staged a protest against the government over 10 months of unpaid salaries.