Kumasi: The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) has closed its Outpatient Department (OPD) because of the ongoing nationwide strike by members of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA). The shutdown has left many patients stranded and distressed, with no nurses available to attend to them.

According to Ghana News Agency, when the agency visited the facility on Monday morning, a notice posted at the OPD announced its closure and directed all emergency cases to the hospital’s Accident and Emergency Unit. The notice read: ‘OPD IS CLOSED DUE TO NURSES’ STRIKE. PLEASE SEND URGENT CASES TO THE A and E.’

One patient, who had arrived at the hospital at 0500 hours, told the agency that as of 0900 hours, he had not been attended to. ‘As it stands now, I don’t know whether to go home or wait because there are no nurses here to attend to us,’ he said.

The impact of the strike goes beyond patients as student nurses at the KATH Nursing and Midwifery Training College and the Ear, Nose and Throat Nursing School have also been affected. The agency observed that tutors had not shown up to teach, leaving students idle in classrooms. One student expressed concern that the strike could disrupt their academic calendar, especially with mid-semester examinations scheduled for next week.

Nurses play a vital role in healthcare delivery, and their absence from public hospitals poses a significant threat to patients, particularly those who cannot afford private healthcare services. Public sector nurses and midwives across the country have officially withdrawn their services in compliance with the directive issued by the GRNMA.