Respect for Health Workers Ensures Trust, Safety, and Better Care

On Class FM’s morning show, a communicator of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) recently claimed that health workers in Ghana have been “overpampered” and went further to suggest that in other countries they are regarded as “useless.” These remarks, made in response to the assault of a nurse at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge), are not only unfounded but also deeply irresponsible.

It is never true that health workers are considered “useless” anywhere. On the contrary, across the world, medicine and nursing are among the most respected professions. Doctors, nurses, and allied health staff are recognized as essential frontline professionals, and societies place enormous value on their expertise because their work literally saves lives. Ghana must not allow careless rhetoric to diminish the standing of a profession that commands global respect.

What is undeniable, however, is that our health system faces serious and longstanding challenges. Many public hospitals are overstretched, under-resourced, and understaffed. Critical equipment is often lacking, essential medicines are in short supply, and staff-to-patient ratios remain dangerously high. A single nurse in a busy ward may be tasked with caring for dozens of patients, while doctors often juggle overwhelming caseloads with limited support. These are not conditions that suggest health workers are pampered; they highlight the resilience and sacrifice required to keep Ghana’s health system functioning.

It is important to acknowledge that there are lapses in service delivery and instances of negligence, which must be addressed with firmness and accountability. However, focusing solely on blame while ignoring the systemic failures is counterproductive. What Ghana needs is not scapegoating or vilifying its health workforce, but lasting solutions to the deeper issues: improved resourcing, fairer staffing levels, adequate equipment, better supervision, and stronger accountability mechanisms that are professional and nonpolitical.

Vilifying health workers does nothing to solve the real problems. It only risks fueling public hostility and emboldening acts of aggression against those whose duty it is to care for the sick. The recent Ridge incident, where a nurse was assaulted in the line of duty, should remind us that health facilities must remain safe spaces where trust, order, and professionalism prevail.

If Ghana is truly committed to improving healthcare, the focus must shift from insults and political point-scoring to concrete reforms that strengthen the system. Protecting and respecting health workers is not charity, but rather a national necessity. Health workers in Ghana deserve respect, protection, and support. They are not the enemy. The real enemy is a failing system that urgently requires investment and reform.