Naomi Oyoe Ohene Oti, a Ghanaian nurse and educator at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital who recently won the prestigious 2025 Aster Guardian Global Nursing Award, has called for increased investment in nursing education, better remuneration, and greater support for specialist training in Ghana.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Friday, June 6, Madam Ohene Oti emphasised the urgent need for stakeholders to support nurses in their professional journey, noting that the current system leaves most trainees to fund their own education.
“In training, nurses have to pay for everything themselves. But quality healthcare is a right, not a privilege,” she stated.
“Stakeholders must step in to assist with training and create incentives that will encourage nurses to stay in the country. Investment in specialist training is also crucial.”
She highlighted the low wages of nurses as a major factor driving many of them to seek opportunities abroad.
“Nurses work extremely hard, yet their remuneration is very low. Because of economic hardship, many are forced to leave the country just to survive,” she explained.
“When you value and appreciate their work, they will stay. Ghanaian nurses are excelling globally — they are trailblazers, and people everywhere prefer our nurses.”
The award-winning nurse also urged more nurses in Ghana to specialise in oncology nursing, pointing to the country’s growing cancer burden.
“With over 30 million people, we’re seeing more than 24,000 cancer cases — and more than half of those patients are dying,” she said. “There’s a lot of work, but we are taking it one case at a time.”
She stressed that every cancer patient deserves quality care and that this can only be achieved when nurses are empowered with the right skills.
“Nursing input into cancer control is enormous. Empowering oncology nurses will help reduce the cancer burden in Ghana,” she added.
Naomi Oyoe Ohene Oti made history in May 2025 when she was announced the winner of the $250,000 Aster Guardian Global Nursing Award, beating over 50,000 nominees from across the world.
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