Critical Patients Turn Away from Upper West Regional Hospital as Nurses’ Strike Enters Day 3, Patients Go Home to Die

The ongoing nationwide strike by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has plunged the Upper West Regional and Municipal Hospital into a state of crisis, leaving critically ill patients with nowhere to turn. As the strike enters its third day, Info Radio reports indicate an alarming increase in patients being turned away, some opting to go home and face their fate alone.

Emergency services at the hospital have been severely impacted, with nurses absent from their posts due to the industrial action. The hospital's emergency and routine operations have come to a standstill, forcing healthcare providers to turn away patients with life-threatening conditions. Many critically ill individuals, unable to access the care they desperately need, are being advised to leave the facility to seek alternative options or return home to await their inevitable demise.

Patients and their families, already overwhelmed by illness and uncertainty, expressed deep frustration and despair in interviews conducted by Info Radio on Thursday. Some shared heartbreaking stories of being turned away at the hospital gates, with one patient’s relative lamenting, “We came here hoping for help, but there is no one to attend to us. We have no choice but to take him home, even if it means he might not survive.”

The situation has sparked widespread concern across the region, with fears mounting over the potential loss of lives due to the ongoing industrial action. Local community leaders and health advocates have called on the government to swiftly resolve the impasse to prevent further deterioration of health outcomes.

Mr. Abdul Fatawu Mahamoud, Regional Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association speaking to Info Radio reporter Francis Dongyiri clarified that the strike is a deliberate action aimed at compelling the government to honor its commitments. “Our members are protesting to demand the implementation of their agreed conditions of service, which have been unfulfilled for too long,” he stated. “This strike is a wake-up call for authorities to prioritize the rights and welfare of nurses and midwives, who are essential to delivering quality healthcare.”

As the strike persists into its third day, the region faces a growing humanitarian concern. The absence of adequate healthcare personnel has not only disrupted routine medical services but has also tragically led to critically ill patients being abandoned in their time of greatest need. The community and patients are urging swift intervention to end the strike and restore vital health services before more lives are lost.