The dream of every young nurse in training is to build a career in saving lives while reaping some financial benefits. In Ghana, a country in West Africa, this hasn’t exactly been the case.
Incessant strike actions by nurses and calls for salary increase tells us just one thing; the Ghanaian nurses are not paid enough.
This piques our interest and brings us to the question; how much are do Ghanaian nurses earn in 2023?
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What is the government doing?
In 2005, a quite impressive number of nurses left the country to search for more lucrative job opportunities in the country.
Consequently, leaving a minute number of available nurses in the country. The Ghanaian government desperate to solve this problem placed a ban on nurses, preventing them from leaving the country.
Also, the government established an institution dedicated to training nurses. And after graduation, nurses will have to work in the country for a period of five years before moving to another country – if they so desire.
Honestly, this seemed to solve the problem of scarcity of nurses. According to the BBC report, the estimated number of nurses in Ghana at 2104 was about 20,400.
This increase in the number of nurses in Ghana prompted the government to lift the ban on nurses.
Nurses that are yet to complete the 5-year work agreement but desires to travel must pay a fine of 422 Cedis ($650) for each uncompleted year. This is almost an impossible feat for many.
Salary Structure Of Nurses in Ghana
In Ghana, what you earn as a nurse depends on several factors. For nurses working in communities, their salaries depend on whether they are registered or not.
All registered nurses do not earn the same amount of money. Your level of education and qualifications determine what you are paid.
Despite this, on average registered nurses are paid between $3,600 and $4,800 annually. This means a monthly salary of between $300 – $400. Of course, unregistered nurses do not earn this much.
This amount is hardly sufficient due to the steady rise in the cost of living in Ghana. Nurses are forced to take a second job to make ends meet, despite spending hectic fifteen to eighteen hours at work.
Small wonder patients in some Ghanaian hospitals complain about nurses being cranky and unsympathetic.
Though the salary of nurses was reviewed in 2010, the current pay is still yet to be made public and probably yet to be implemented.
Considering the tasking and very sensitive nature of their job and what their counterparts earn in developed countries, the Ghanaian nurses have very plausible reasons to be aggrieved.
Grim Reality!
Frankly, the Ghanaian government has come a long way in making sure the country has a good supply of ‘diligent’ nurses. However, nurses are still unhappy with their less-than-satisfactory paycheck.
Moreover, the fact that nurses are not fully free to move out of the country to search for greener pasture is quite unfair.
So, the continuous clamour for an increase in salaries by nurses tells us that this problem endures.
Why Do Ghanian Nurses Migrate to the United Kingdom?
In the UK Health Service, new nurses are paid over 21,000 euros annually. Besides, with the possibility of working overtime, you get extra pay, which is a monthly income of about $2,695.
In the year 2004, approximately 700 nurses migrated from Ghana to the UK. With the astounding difference in the paycheck, this is no surprise.
Nurses in specific departments like psychiatry are generally paid more than general nurses. The difference in salaries isn’t much as they all want fatter paychecks and they have been making that known with strike actions.
Some have proposed hourly payment as a way to address the issue by encouraging nurses to work extra hours for more pay whenever they can.
A professional nurse in Ghana earns $400 every month after tax deduction. This is about 2000 Ghanian Cedis when converted.
Salary Of Nurses in Ghana at A Glance
The monthly salary of Ghanaian nurses is majorly due to the level of education, and general qualifications and the figures are given below;
Nurses with Bachelor’s degree are paid between 1600 to 2000 Ghanaian Cedis monthly.
Nurses with a diploma are paid a minimum of 900 Ghanaian Cedis monthly.
Certified nurses are paid about 700 Ghanaian Cedis monthly.
Conclusion
Conclusively, nurses salary in Ghana is far from appealing, and these nurses are not asking for too much.
A proper review and increase in their pay are necessary. Ghanaian nurses work very hard for long hours and deserve decent pay.
Moreover, an increase in nurses salary will encourage intending nurses in their quest to build a nursing career. Also, it will destroy the desire to leave the country in search of greener pastures.
Hi there, I'm Heaven. I'm an entrepreneur, blogger, and digital marketing enthusiast. When I'm not watching anime or learning something new from TikTok, I post and vlog about my incredible life experiences as a digital entrepreneur.
