Private health facilities across Ghana are under immense pressure as the ongoing strike by members of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) continues to paralyze operations in public hospitals.
Since June 2, 2025, nurses and midwives have withdrawn their services in protest of the government’s delay in implementing the 2024 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). This industrial action has left public hospitals either completely shut down or functioning at a bare minimum, forcing patients to seek alternative care in private institutions.
In Kumasi, the Suntreso Government Hospital – once a bustling facility – now stands deserted. Critical units such as the Mother and Baby Unit have been severely affected. Pediatrician Dr. Ashura Bakari painted a dire picture: “Doctors are forced to abandon their regular duties to perform tasks that should be handled by nurses. We’re doing our best, but we’re overwhelmed,” she stated.
Meanwhile, private hospitals like Anwiam Hospital are bearing the brunt of the patient influx. Dr. Yaw Antwi, a medical practitioner at Anwiam, revealed a sharp increase in emergency cases. “In the last four days alone, we’ve performed over 20 emergency caesarean deliveries, many of which were referrals from Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital,” he said. “The labor ward is constantly full, especially at night.”
Dr. Gabriel Boakye, Medical Director of Anwiam Hospital, also shared his concerns. “We sometimes refer patients to other facilities, but they return to us because there’s nowhere else to go. We are doing our best with the limited resources we have,” he noted.
The situation is no different in the Bono East Region. The Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Hospital in Fiapre-Sunyani is experiencing over 100% surge in outpatient numbers. Administrator Enoch Opoku Nketia highlighted the immense strain on critical units such as the Emergency and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
Nurse Linda Afful, who works in the NICU, expressed her fears. “We are operating far beyond capacity. This is not sustainable.”
Dr. Philip Karikari, the hospital’s Medical Director, emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that staff are struggling to provide adequate care under the circumstances.
As private hospitals strive to accommodate the overflow of patients, calls for a swift resolution to the strike are growing louder. The government has so far proposed to delay the implementation of the agreement to 2026 due to financial constraints—a position firmly rejected by the GRNMA.
With public health services at a breaking point, the situation underscores the critical need for urgent and meaningful dialogue between government and healthcare workers. Until then, Ghana’s private hospitals will continue to shoulder a burden they were never meant to carry alone.