Violence Prompts Urgent Call for Health Worker Safety
The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has urgently requested the government to evacuate its members from Bawku Municipality due to escalating ethnic violence threatening healthcare workers’ safety. GRNMA President Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo highlighted that non-resident nurses, posted for duty, face heightened risks amid ongoing clashes.
The plea follows a July 26, 2025, attack where unidentified gunmen killed three students at Nalerigu SHS and Bawku SHS, linked to the Kusasi-Mamprusi chieftaincy dispute. This incident, among others, has intensified fears for public servants, including over 1,200 nurses in the Upper East Region’s conflict zones.
Ofori-Ampofo urged the Ministry of Health to act swiftly, citing direct threats to nurses’ lives. The government imposed a 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew in Bawku and Nalerigu on July 27 to facilitate student evacuations, with the Ghana Armed Forces now enforcing peace, shifting from peacekeeping efforts.
The GRNMA’s call aligns with similar pleas from the Pre-tertiary Teachers Association for teacher evacuations. The conflict, claiming over 260 lives since 2021, disrupts healthcare delivery, with nurses at Bawku Presbyterian Hospital reporting fears of targeted attacks, exacerbating staffing shortages in critical facilities.
Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh assured ongoing engagements with security agencies to protect frontline workers. The government’s response includes increased troop deployment, but GRNMA insists on immediate evacuations to ensure nurse safety.