SET UP COLLEGE OF NURSING, MIDWIFERY (PAGE 14)

THE Director of Nursing Services, Mr George K. Kyeremeh, has called on the government and stakeholders in the health sector to seriously consider setting up a Ghana College of Nursing and Midwifery to enable nurses and midwives to specialise in the profession.
This, he said, would also afford the country the opportunity to achieve quality health care , as well as various international targets particularly reduction in child mortality and improvement in maternal health under the Millennium Development Goals.
Speaking at the matriculation of the Nursing and Midwifery Training College in Koforidua, Mr Kumi said “the earlier we set up this college, the better for quality nursing and midwifery care in the country”.
In all, there were 150 matriculants who will pursue a diploma in registered general nursing and registered midwifery programmes for the 2008/2009 academic year.
The director said due to improved financial access under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and free maternal delivery, there had been relative increase in patients visit to the various health facilities across the country.
Furthermore, he indicated that unlike the past, modern health care had placed an enormous responsibility on nurses and midwives in terms of technical and managerial functions at health posts.
“There is the whole area of research, problem solving and communication skills, as well as the use of information technology (IT) in order for nurses and midwives to be effective and efficient in patient care delivery,” he explained.
For these reasons, Mr Kyeremeh stressed the need for the college to be established to allow for specialisation within the profession, contrary to what pertained today.
He advised nurses and midwives not to perceive themselves as a lower calibre of staff who were only to take instructions, an anomaly, which he said, must be corrected.
“We should be well informed and confident to correct and challenge medical instructions if they fall short of the required standards, since it is teamwork and we all have collective responsibility to ensure patient safety”, he added.
“The poor staff attitude towards clients is a major concern and we still have to work hard to redeem the image of the Ghanaian nurse and midwife,” he admonished.
Mr Kyeremeh, however reminded patients of their responsibility in seeking health care, saying “together we must help to create a caring and loving environment that will facilitate healing and improve health outcomes, so we will all live happily”.
On recruitment of nurses and midwives into the service, he said that there were reforms in the sector to ensure fair staff distribution and promotion of efficiency across all the health facilities in the country.
For her part, the Principal of the college, Mrs Doreen Osah-Ayensu, said although the college was making strides with regard to discipline and academic performance, it was faced with several challenges.
She mentioned the college’s campus being used as a thoroughfare, which had exposed the students and tutors to robbers, thieves and lunatics.
other problems were lack of residential and office accommodation for tutors, lack of transportation and inadequate funds for maintenance.