The Plight of The Degree Nurse In Ghana (An open letter to President John Dramani Mahama)

Written by Prince Assandoh-Mensah in 2016

Most Excellent Mahama,

I greet you. It is with gladness of heart that I write you this letter. How is your ‘accounting to the people’ tour?

To be frank with you Mr President, I was very happy when I heard that you were embarking on a mission to account to the people of Ghana. How fortunate I am, to have you in my house, to explain to me how you’ve judiciously use the countries resources over the past 3years? I don’t even deserve it but I know because you are a listening government, you will do it.

Mr President, I am writing you this letter because till today, I have not yet seen you in my house. I am an unemployed graduate nurse who graduated from one of your NAB (National Accreditation Board) accredited universities quite recently.

I have been out of job since completion and several efforts made to secure one, have all proved futile. Just about a few days ago, I heard that you were recruiting nurses.

Glory to God! I was very glad that finally, I could secure for myself employment. Alas! Maame Akosua will no more storm our house to insult my parent, just because they borrowed from her to pay for my professional licensing exams fee. I will be able to pay her now. And as for my student loan, hope has now come!

So last Monday, I took GHc30.00 from my mother to go to the health directorate to purchase some of the recruitment forms. Though that was the last money she had, she gave it to me because she thought I was bringing good news to the house later in the day.

I went to the directorate only to be told that the forms were only sold to nurses from Ministry of Health institutions. Several efforts made to purchase one for myself proved futile. So I came back home in tears.

Most Excellent Mahama, why are you not selling the forms to degree nurses? Do we not qualify to work in your clinics and hospitals? Then why are you not recruiting us?

Hmmh! Mr President, you well know that before I can enter the university to pursue nursing, I have to get a single digit grade. It was no problem for me at all! I burnt the midnight candle to get a single digit grade. Some of our friends in the MOH institutions had the opportunity to gain admission with a double digit grade.

Secondly, you made me fund my own education on debts and loans. Meanwhile, my colleagues in the nursing training colleges were receiving allowances from you.

As if that was not enough, you told me that before I could graduate as a nurse, I have to be in school for four good years while they use only three years.

Even after school, whiles we do the same internship, you pay them twice what we degree nurses receive. Isn’t that enough bruise from you, Mr President?

And now that we are all done with internship, you are offering them employment without us, the degree nurses.

Please Mr President, what have we done to deserve all these? Is it a crime to pursue nursing at the university level? Are we also not descendants of Ama Ghana? Then why are you treating us like this?

I know you have a big heart and you will listen to our plight that is why I have taken my time to write to you.

I’m hoping to hear from you.

Signed by
An Unemployed Graduate Nurse