An unpaid nurse laments as she pleaded with the Mahama government to take immediate steps to pay over 10 months of unpaid salaries to members of the Coalition of Unpaid Nurses and Midwives.
According to the unpaid nurse, who painted a bleak picture of their predicament, she revealed she has cut her hair because she does not have money to take care of it.
Also, as a nurse, they preach eating a balanced diet, fruits and vegetables, but she eats just once.
Speaking to a Journalist during the nurses’ protest, she lamented, “The nurses they recruited in December and January, and we have been working for the past 10 to 11 months, we have not been paid, not even 1 cedi, and we are struggling.
It has affected my life in a whole lot of ways, especially my hair. Me being a lady, I will have to take care of my hair once in a while. I don’t have money, so I have cut my hair”.
“Today, the boyfriend is not even having any. How do I feed myself? How do I pay my bills? My rent is almost due in December. My landlord even wants to evict me, where will I go and sleep? I board two cars before I get to work, and we are struggling. We, as health professionals we are preaching balance, eat well, eat fruits, and I am eating once a day”, she added.
Also, 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 recounts 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”.
The Coalition of Unpaid Nurses and Midwives, yesterday, 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.
Meanwhile, Thomas Ampem Nyarko, the deputy finance minister, has told the Nurses and midwives that their salary arrears will be captured in the next budget.
He expressed gratitude to the nurses and midwives for their service and apologised for the delay.
Watch the video below:
“I’ve had to shave my hair because I don’t have money to take care of it. We preach eating balanced diet but I eat once a day”
— SIKAOFFICIAL🦍 (@SIKAOFFICIAL1) October 2, 2025
—Unpaid nurse laments as she pleads on government to take immediate steps to pay over 10months of unpaid salaries to members of the Coalition of Unpaid… pic.twitter.com/ROucsc4EFo