The Union of Trainee Nurses and Midwives, Ghana (UTNMG), is calling on the government to extend the June 20 deadline for trainee allowance validation and to include the 2024 batch of nursing trainees in the payment process.
In a statement released on Tuesday, UTNMG described the Ministry of Health’s current directive as unfair and unrealistic, warning that it places undue pressure on thousands of nursing and midwifery students across the country.
Under the new policy, trainees are required to submit their SSNIT numbers, bank account details, and Ghana Card information between June 16 and June 20, 2025—a window the union says is too narrow, especially for students who are yet to secure the required documents.
“The previous system only required an E-zwich account, which many trainees already had. This abrupt shift to SSNIT and Ghana Card has left many struggling to comply within the short notice,” the statement read.
The union also raised alarm over the exclusion of the 2024 batch from the validation process, describing it as deeply unjust. These trainees, currently undertaking their mandatory one-year national service, have reportedly gone 15 months without receiving their allowances, despite active service to the nation.
“We cannot continue working on empty stomachs while serving the nation. The amount owed to us is colossal. We need urgent intervention,” UTNMG emphasized.
Additionally, the union criticized the Ministry’s earlier declaration that allowance payments could be scrapped entirely by January 2026. They described this as tone-deaf to the economic realities trainees face.
UTNMG estimates the cost of two square meals per day now averages GHC1,800.00 per month, a burden they say is unsustainable for unpaid trainees.
“This situation will only subject us to financial hemorrhage and nosebleeds, with no respite. We are asking for fairness and empathy. The financial strain is unbearable, and we urge the government to take swift action,” the statement concluded.
