Political Scientist Dr. Richard Amoako Baah has called on nurses to approach their ongoing challenges with compassion and goodwill towards the government to help find workable solutions.
Speaking during a panel discussion on TV3 monitored by Kumasimail, Dr. Amoako Baah emphasized that nurses and the government are part of the same system, stating, “Employers, it’s your government. It’s not somebody else’s. You are in it. If it goes down, you go down too. So we shouldn’t be talking like that. We should talk with goodwill”
He acknowledged the strenuous work nurses do and praised their contributions but highlighted the financial constraints facing the government.
He stated “Whatever you say, whatever way you put it, conditional service, whatever, it comes down to money.
“And some maniac took all the money and ran away. Where is the money? Where is the money now? Don’t we live in this country? Don’t we know that people have stolen all the money? Don’t we know it? All you needed to see was the ex-president flying with his girlfriend up there. What did we say? Did we complain that this was not right? We didn’t have any money. We said nothing. Now, what do you expect?,”he questioned, referring to past corruption scandals that depleted public funds.
“Things went from bad to worse before this government came,” Dr. Baah added noting the difficulty faced by the John Dramani Mahama led administration.
Dr. Amoako Baah urged nurses to give the current government some leeway, noting, “God has picked this government to fix the country once and for all. This is the last chance.”
He acknowledged that the government could have allocated more funds for nurses in the budget but expressed hope that this could be corrected going forward.
Dr. Amoako Baah urged a balanced perspective, saying nurses should be cared for and supported but also reminded them of their core professional value.
He noted “You didn’t become a nurse or midwife so that you can starve. You have family too. But please, be careful. Have compassion. That’s how nurses and midwives are supposed to be. You’re healthcare deliverers. That’s your core value. Compassion”
Dr. Amoako Baah also highlighted the government’s role in investing in nurses’ education and training, urging them to remember that relationship in their negotiations.
He stressed “The gov’t takes care of nurses before they become nurses. How did you become a nurse? Isn’t the government hand in it? How did you become a nurse? Why are we talking as if we are talking to strangers? You see, remember all these things. The amount of money you pay to go to nursing school is not enough to have taken care of you. So the government contributed, invested in you. So remember that when you are talking. All of us, professors are also included. The government has invested in you”.
He concluded by affirming his support for nurses, noting that in some countries nurses are valued even more than doctors for their critical role in healthcare delivery.
“I will support nurses any time of the day. In some places in the US, they value nurses even more than doctors because in certain hospitals, the nurse can do everything a doctor can do,” Dr. Baah added.
Source : www.kumasimail.com /Kwadwo Owusu
