A Deputy Minister of Health says the erstwhile John Mahama administration is to blame for the current high level of unemployment among graduate nurses in the country.
Alexander Kojo Kom Abban said mismanagement by the erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC) government is what had led to the current state of affairs.
He said, if the previous government had done things right, most graduate nurses from 2017 and 2018 would have been employed by now.
“The backlog [of nurses] came as a result of the mismanagement of the economy… by the previous government,” Mr. Abban told Accra-based Class FM.
“If the previous government had done things well and had recruited these people, I’m sure we will not have the backlog of those in 2017 and 2018.”
READ ALSO: 6 jobless nurses arrested after storming Health Ministry to demand jobs The Deputy Health Minister further criticised the erstwhile NDC government, saying they went for a policy credibility from the IMF and accepted a condition to freeze public sector recruitment.
There have been five cohorts of unemployed nurses made up graduating classes from 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Mr. Abban, however, assured that the Akufo-Addo government is doing its best to mitigate the situation.
The Graduate Unemployed Nurses and Midwives Association recently picketed the Ministry to demand their immediate employment.
The demonstrating nurses said their action was necessitated by government’s failure to provide them with jobs.
