Management at Ghana's Upper East Regional Hospital (UERH) has appealed to the nurses' union for urgent intervention to address a severe staffing crisis. The hospital's Head of Administration, Samuel Azure Atuba, described the situation as "dire" during a meeting with leaders of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA). Atuba warned that the shortage of nurses and other healthcare professionals had led to excessive workloads, staff burnout, and growing concerns about patient care quality.
The GRNMA National Executive Committee (NEC) visited the hospital as part of a nationwide tour to engage members and healthcare institutions on issues affecting nurses and midwives. Atuba used the occasion to ask the union's national leadership to intensify advocacy for urgent recruitment. He urged the GRNMA to push the employer and relevant authorities to act, noting that policymakers might not fully grasp the scale of difficulties facing health workers.
The hospital's Chief Nursing Officer, Catherine Ayoka, reported that the nursing workforce had declined from nearly 460 to approximately 390, according to the hospital's third-quarter report. Excessive workloads were contributing to burnout, emotional distress, and difficulties among some female healthcare workers, including reported miscarriages linked to work-related stress.
Ayoka cited an example from her morning rounds at the paediatric unit, where around 45 patients were being attended to by only three nurses. She described the situation as a "serious crisis" and questioned how quality care could be delivered under such conditions. Some staff who proceeded on leave were not expected to return, which would further deepen the hospital's staffing gap.
GRNMA President Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo responded that she was concerned about nurse attrition and staffing gaps at the hospital. She assured management that the association's leadership would raise the matter with the Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Health for redress. Ofori-Ampofo also called for greater attention to the mental health of nurses and midwives.
Ofori-Ampofo disclosed that the association was handling cases involving substance abuse among some members and called for stronger mental health services and support systems within the profession. She encouraged hospital management and stakeholders to treat the welfare of healthcare workers as a shared responsibility.
The GRNMA leadership will engage with relevant authorities to address the staffing crisis at the UERH. Key stakeholders, including hospital management and healthcare professionals, are expected to collaborate to find solutions to the crisis.
Key points
- The hospital's nursing workforce has declined from 460 to 390.
- The staffing crisis has led to excessive workloads, staff burnout, and concerns about patient care quality.
- The GRNMA will raise the issue with the Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Health.
