The Vice Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh, has asked trainee nurses to be thankful to the Akufo-Addo government for restoring their allowances despite the delay in its disbursement.
He said the NPP is committed to restoring and maintaining the allowances which were previously cancelled by the erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.
Addressing students at the Korle-Bu Nursing and Midwifery Training College in the Greater Accra Region, Dr Prempeh reassured trainee nurses that the government is working diligently to prevent delays in the payment of their allowances.
Dr Prempeh acknowledged that occasional delays in payments may occur but emphasised that these delays are far better than the complete removal of the allowances, as experienced under the NDC.
“There may be delays, but allowances delayed are better than allowances cancelled,” Dr. Prempeh noted.
He assured the students that the NPP values their contribution to healthcare and is focused on policies that will improve their welfare and professional opportunities.
Delays and Agitations
Despite restoring the allowances in 2017, the government has not been consistent with its payment, resulting in series of agitations among teacher and nursing trainees across the contract.
In June this year, the Ghana Nurse-Midwife Trainees’ Association (GNMTA) raised concerns over the delay in the disbursement of allowances to trainee nurses and midwives.
Despite the government’s promise to pay these allowances, the GNMTA said the payment schedule had not been honoured which had brought hardship unto its members.
In a statement issued on Tuesday June 25, the Association expressed concern that the 2022 batch, scheduled to receive their arrears on May 23, along with the 2023 and other batches, had not received these payments.
Source: Myxyzonline.com
