Northern Region needs better conditions to retain nurses and midwives - UPNMG President

Maxwell Oduro Yeboah, National President of the Union of Professional Nurses and Midwives, Ghana (UPNMG), called for deliberate government investment in the Northern Region to improve the retention of nurses and midwives, speaking at the Northern Regional Nurses and Midwives Conference in Tamale. He stated that many health professionals leave not by choice but because of poor working and living conditions.

Mr. Oduro Yeboah noted that the region produces a significant number of healthcare professionals, but inadequate infrastructure, limited accommodation, and inequitable deployment systems drive many elsewhere. The conference, held at the Radach Hotel, was themed: "Strengthening Nursing and Midwifery Practice: Bridging the Gap, Building the Future for Ghana's Healthcare." He endorsed calls for a more balanced approach to national development, arguing that the concentration of opportunities in Accra forces many young professionals to relocate. He referred to earlier remarks by Northern Regional Minister Ali Adolf John Mburudiba, who was the special guest of honour, stating that the same development challenges confronting young people also affect nurses and midwives. Mr. Oduro Yeboah quoted Mr. Mburudiba saying, "Accra must not remain the focal point of growth, that our young people leave not by choice but by necessity." He stressed that retaining healthcare professionals requires more than postings, insisting that government must create an environment that encourages them to remain in underserved communities.