The Akufo Addo administration has scrapped the bonding system that required freshly qualified nurses and midwives to submit themselves for employment by the government.
The reversal of the bonding system comes on the back of the failure of the government to employ thousands of graduate nurses and midwives languishing at home without jobs.
“Bonding is stopped now,” Deputy Health minister Tina Mensah announced Thursday but did not give details on when and why the decision was taken by the government.
This statement will come as a surprise to thousands of nurses who have mounted consistent demonstrations in protest of what they say is the government’s neglect of their plights of joblessness.
The bonding system for nurses was introduced in 2005 to stop the capital flight or the brain-drain of these professionals from the badly serviced health sector.
Under the system, nurses trained in public health training institutions had to serve in Ghana for five years before they could leave the shores of the country to practice elsewhere.
Speaking on the side-lines of the 4th annual general meeting and scientific conference of the Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives, Ms Mensah said graduates can now leave to practice anywhere in the world once they are done with their national service.
“Now it is no more there so you’ve not been bonded,” she emphasised, adding, “now that they are no more bonded, you’re free to go”. Meanwhile, the Minister claims the allowances given to nurses does not have any effect on the reversal of the bonds.