- Minority in Parliament has demanded urgent action over unpaid salaries of thousands of health workers across Ghana
- Dr Ayew Afriyie criticised Health Minister for seeking new Cabinet approval despite existing financial clearance
- He described the months-long salary delay as neglect and urges immediate payment to frontline workers
The Minority in Parliament has demanded immediate action on the delayed salaries of thousands of health workers across the country.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, Dr Ayew Afriyie, the Ranking Member on the Health Committee, slammed the Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, for seeking fresh Cabinet approval.
Source: Facebook
According to the Ranking Member, who doubles as the Member of Parliament for Effiduase-Asokore, the previous government made funds available for payment of the health workers.
He further described the delay in salary payments as an “unacceptable neglect” of frontline health workers who have not received their salaries for months.
The lawmaker consequently urged the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance to expedite the process to ensure timely payment of salaries to these critical workers.
He also stated that the argument that the financial clearance issued by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government had expired and that a new one ought to be approved before the health workers could be paid was untenable.
“Money was allocated for 15,000 nurses. You came in, 7,000 or almost 8,000 had started. The remaining were employed by the Ghana Health Service. Albeit they were late, they were at post. You didn’t see the need to tell the institutions to reject them. Neither did the institutions write to you to reject them,” he said.
“What it meant was that they filled a gap, and they were needed to be at post, so the institutions used them,” he added.
Dr Ayew Afriyie further questioned why the Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, would seek another approval from Cabinet when one already exists.
“Except they did not extend this (expired financial clearance) for political reasons. And then 10 months down the lane, they face an embarrassment where the staff went on demonstration and public agitation to draw your mind to this clearance and the need for extension,” he further stated.
“Embarrassing enough, you are saying that you have taken it to Cabinet for approval. What sort of Cabinet do you have to take for approval when you have a clearance already?” he questioned.
The NPP MP made these remarks while reacting to news reports that the Health Minister has secured approval to pay the unpaid health workers.
Watch the video below:
Reactions to Minority’s criticism of Health Minister
Following the Minority’s press conference, Ghanaians on social media took to the comments section of the video to share their views.
YEN.com.gh compiled a few of the reactions below:
@Ato Kwamena Aikins said:
“These npp guys have no shame ooo.”
@Prince Kudjoe Ofosuware also said:
“Wooaaa look, just look at the kettle calling the pot black.”
@Ampong Kwame Fah commented:
“They (minority) just want us to know that they are still part of the parliament.”
Source: Facebook
Government to pay unpaid health workers
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Minister for Health disclosed that salary arrears for over 13,000 health workers would be paid starting in November 2025.
He said financial clearance had been secured to pay 17,909 interns and 13,500 nurses and midwives recruited in 2024.
The Minister made this known at a press conference on Monday, October 13, 2025.
Source: YEN.com.gh
Source: Yen.com.gh
