90% health institution admission for locals
Health training institutions in the Upper East Region have been asked to by a policy directive to give 90 per cent of admission to citizens of the region.
The directive issued by the regional health directorate has also reminded all health trainees, their families and the general public that the professional training of the nurse is incomplete without the one-year mandatory orientation, indicating, “Henceforth, we do not expect to receive the countless requests for release of orientation nurses to Greater Accra, Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions from any quarters. Any orientation nurse contravening the policy directive shall have the name deleted from the payroll as having vacated post and also [not be] certified for appointment by the Ghana Health Service.”
The Regional Director of Health Service, Dr John Koku Awoonor-Williams, said this in an address read on his behalf at the joint matriculation of health trainees in the Upper East Region held at Zuarungu. In all, 649 students were admitted to the five health training institutions in the region.
The Bolgatanga Nurses Training College admitted 156 students, 99 students were admitted to the Bawku Presbyterian Nurses Training College, while 137 students made it to the Bolgatanga Midwifery College. One hundred and sixty-four students were admitted to the Navrongo Community Health/Nurses Training School (CHNTS), while 93 students made it to the Zuarungu Health Assistants Training Schools.
Effective health service delivery in the region is seriously being hampered as a result of unfavourable doctor-patient and nurse-patient ratio. This, coupled with the fact that a number of trainees after their training programmes in the region put in request to leave the region rather than stay on to serve their mandatory one-year orientation in the region, is impeding health service delivery.
Dr Awoonor-Williams said despite the inadequate school infrastructure and lack of tutors, all the health training schools in the region had consistently placed among the top five, according to the Ministry of Health school league table.
“We can, however, do far better if we all support the region’s drive to improve the school infrastructure, student discipline and quality of practical clinical training,” he said.
The Upper East Regional Minister, Alhaji Limuna Mohammed-Muniru, urged all municipal and district assemblies in the region to continue to show commitment in the sponsorship of health professionals from their respective municipalities and districts as a way of attracting health professionals such as doctors, nurses, pharmacists to their districts.
He said the government would continue to do everything possible to provide infrastructural facilities and logistics to make life comfortable for both students and staff.
He urged all trainees to be disciplined in their course of study and to abide by all rules and regulations to enable them to attain good academic results.
The acting Registrar of the Nurses and Midwives Council of Ghana, Mr Felix Nyante, who administered the matriculation oath, advised the trainees not to use strikes and boycotts to fight their cause, especially for wage increment, after they had passed out.
He also urged them to avoid demonstrations, unrests and other negative tendencies and asked them to be focused and purposeful to successfully complete their courses.
Mr Nyante said they belonged to the category of essential services providers, and noted that that required commitment and dedication to duty by exhibiting love, empathy and sympathy towards patients.
He bemoaned a recent event where some students of the Bolgatanga NMTC sued the school authorities over some issues and another batch of 19 students of the Navrongo CHNTS who caused a riot in their school over some administrative measures put in place by the school authorities.
“While it is within your rights to seek redress in court as and when it becomes necessary, I implore all students to endeavour to make use of the opportunities offered by the organisational structure in your schools for addressing your concerns,” he said.
Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover
Writer's email: [email protected]