Labour expert Austin Gamey has called for restraint and dialogue as the nationwide strike by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) continues to disrupt healthcare services across the country.

 Mr. Gamey emphasised that the ongoing impasse cannot be resolved through forceful demands or pressure tactics.

“I will plead with both parties. The union within the nursing fraternity knows they have to return to work.

Let them go to the table and have a conversation about any plan that is worth implementing,” he urged.

He cautioned that while the concerns of the nurses may be valid, the government cannot be compelled to meet financial demands it cannot afford.

“You can’t force the employer to pay you when they cannot afford to pay. You cannot do that. You cannot force a horse to the riverside to drink water,” he said.

Mr. Gamey stressed the need for calm, mutual understanding, and constructive dialogue, urging the GRNMA to adopt a more peaceful and solution-oriented approach.

“Patience is required, and I think this is a matter that can be resolved easily.

But the way they are going about it is what is creating the problem,” he observed.

The strike, which stems from unresolved concerns over conditions of service, has significantly impacted healthcare delivery, especially in public hospitals.

Mr. Gamey called on both the GRNMA and the government to return to the negotiation table in good faith, noting that national interest must take precedence in such critical matters.

He made this admonishment while speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Wednesday, June 11, 2025