Part of our Nursing Councils and Associations series. Last checked: November 2026.
In June 2025, nurses and midwives across Ghana withdrew outpatient and emergency services in a nationwide strike over delays in implementing their conditions of service. The organisation behind that action was the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), the country’s main professional body and voice for nurses and midwives since 1960.
Seventeen months later, in November 2026, the Association was still pressing the government to implement the remaining allowances. This guide explains what the GRNMA is, its history and leadership, what the 2024 collective agreement covers, what happened during the 2025 strike, what has been implemented and what is still outstanding, and how nurses and midwives can join and benefit.
Imagine you are a staff midwife in a district hospital in the Upper East Region. You buy your own uniforms, pay to renew your PIN, travel long distances on your own fuel for outreach, and spend nights on call without an on-call allowance. In May 2024 you heard that a collective agreement had been signed to address these things. A year later, nothing had changed. That frustration, shared by thousands of colleagues, is why the GRNMA called its members out in June 2025, and why its leaders still travel the country to update members on what has been won.
What is the GRNMA?
The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association is the professional association for nurses and midwives registered or enrolled with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana. It is independent and non-partisan, headquartered in Accra, with regional and branch structures across the country. Its motto is “Unity is strength”.
The GRNMA acts both as a professional association (promoting standards, education and the image of nursing and midwifery) and as a negotiating body on salaries and conditions of service for its members in the public sector.
History
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| March 1960 | Founded as the Ghana Registered Nurses’ Association (GRNA) through a merger of the Qualified Nurses Association and the State Registered Nurses Association, so that Ghana could be represented by one body at the International Council of Nurses |
| 1960 | Dr Docia Kisseih becomes the first president; Mr Mettle-Nunoo the first general secretary |
| Later years | Renamed the Ghana Registered Nurses’ and Midwives’ Association to reflect midwives’ membership |
| May 2024 | Collective agreement on conditions of service signed with government |
| June 2025 | Nationwide strike over delayed implementation |
| 2026 | Continued engagement on outstanding allowances |
Leadership
The GRNMA is led by an elected national executive. Its president, Mrs Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, has led the Association through the negotiations and industrial action of recent years. National elections are held according to the Association’s constitution; check the GRNMA’s official channels for the current executive.
The 2024 conditions of service
In May 2024, the government and the GRNMA signed a collective agreement on new conditions of service for nurses and midwives. The agreement covered a range of allowances and benefits that nurses had long demanded, including:
- uniform allowance;
- fuel or transport allowance;
- payment for renewal of PIN and AIN (professional registration numbers);
- rural or deprived area allowance;
- on-call allowance;
- book and research allowance for nurse educators;
- other provisions on conditions of work.
The June 2025 strike
- 2 June 2025: nurses and midwives began industrial action, initially wearing red armbands, protesting what the GRNMA called undue delays in implementing the agreement.
- Government position: the Ministry of Health appealed to the Association to call off the strike, citing the cost of the agreement and proposing to defer implementation to 2026; the GRNMA rejected the delay and disputed the government’s cost estimate.
- 9 June 2025: the strike escalated to a withdrawal of outpatient and emergency services. The government appealed to retired nurses to volunteer.
- 12 June 2025: talks with Parliament’s Select Committee on Health, described by the Association as fruitful.
- 13–14 June 2025: the GRNMA suspended the strike and members returned to work, with a roadmap for implementation to be finalised.
What has been implemented, and what is outstanding (November 2026)
| Item | Status reported by the GRNMA, November 2026 |
|---|---|
| Uniform allowance | Implemented |
| Fuel allowance | Implemented |
| PIN and AIN renewal | Implemented |
| Book and research allowance (nurse educators) | Nearing completion; at finance approval stage |
| Rural allowance | Discussions ongoing |
| On-call allowance | Discussions ongoing |
Speaking to members in the Upper East Region in November 2026, the GRNMA president said industrial action is not the Association’s preferred option, but that it would not hesitate to use it if dialogue failed. Nurses and midwives should watch official GRNMA communications for updates.
Other issues the GRNMA campaigns on
- Unemployed nurses and midwives: thousands of trained graduates waiting for postings. See our report on admission quotas and unemployed nurses in Ghana.
- Migration: many Ghanaian nurses move to the UK, the Caribbean, North America and the Middle East. Read about Ghana’s nurse export agreements.
- Safety at work: violence against nurses and safe staffing.
- Professional development: conferences, CPD and leadership training.
- Infection prevention and emergency preparedness, issues highlighted during Ebola and COVID-19.
Membership: who can join and why
Membership is open to all nurses and midwives registered or enrolled with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana. Dues are usually deducted from salary for public sector members. Benefits include:
- collective bargaining on salaries and allowances;
- representation in disputes and disciplinary matters;
- welfare support for members in difficulty;
- continuing professional development;
- a voice in national health policy and international nursing through the ICN.
The GRNMA and the Nursing and Midwifery Council
Do not confuse the two: the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana is the regulator (licensing exams, registration, PIN, discipline), while the GRNMA represents nurses’ and midwives’ interests. See our guide to the Ghana licensing examination.
Frequently asked questions
What does GRNMA stand for?
Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association.
When was the GRNMA founded?
In March 1960, through the merger of two earlier nursing associations.
Why did GRNMA go on strike in 2025?
Over delays in implementing the collective agreement on conditions of service signed in May 2024.
Which allowances are still outstanding?
As of November 2026, the GRNMA said rural and on-call allowances were still under discussion and the book and research allowance was nearing completion.
Is the GRNMA the same as the Nursing and Midwifery Council?
No. The council regulates; the GRNMA represents nurses and midwives.
But do strikes help nurses?
Strikes are a last resort with real costs for patients and nurses. In 2025, industrial action brought Parliament into the dispute and was followed by the implementation of several allowances. The GRNMA says dialogue remains its preferred path, but that agreements signed must be honoured.
Your next step: If you are a nurse or midwife in Ghana, check your latest payslip for the uniform, fuel and PIN renewal allowances, and contact your GRNMA branch if anything you are entitled to is missing.
Related: Ghana licensing exam · Unemployed nurses in Ghana · The ICN explained
Sources: Ghana News Agency (3 November 2026; May 2026); Graphic Online (June 2025); Citi Newsroom and MyJoyOnline coverage of the 2025 strike; GRNMA historical information. Check official GRNMA channels for current updates.
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