Bolgatanga Nursing Training Cannot Admit New Students

The Nurses Training College in Bolgatanga will not admit new students this academic year starting in October because of lack of classrooms and hostel accommodation.

This was made known by the Principal of the College, Mrs Georgetta Tengabo at the second launch of the Ghana Nurses and Midwives Trainees Association (GNMTA) week in Bolgatanga.

This year's celebration is under the theme "HIV/AIDS: A threat to the family's survival".

Mrs Tengabo said the College's problem could be addressed if the Ministry of Finance gave immediate clearance for the contractor to complete work on a hostel block, which was about 80 per cent complete.

She said the Ministry has re-introduced the Senior Registered Nurses (SRN) course in addition to the three-phase diploma courses currently being run, adding that this demanded more tutors, offices and furniture.

She described the facilities at the College as woefully inadequate and called on the district assembly and non-governmental organisations to come to the aid of the school.

Mrs Tengabo appealed for computers and teaching aids to enable the students to take part in computer studies, which forms part of the curriculum.

On the theme for the week's celebration, she said nurses were not being trained to work in the hospital alone but to be involved in extra-curricula activities that would build them up to face other challenges.

The Principal urged the students to use the week to get into the communities and educate the people on the HIV/AIDS pandemic, saying as professionals they should show concern for the society.

The Presiding Member for the Bolgatanga District Assembly, Mr Nicholas Nayembil, said the HIV/AIDS pandemic was very alarming.

He gave the assurance that everything would be done to improve facilities at the College.

Mr Tirah Haruna, President of GNMTA, said the association was formed to be a unifying body and mouthpiece of students in the nursing training colleges and midwifery training schools.

He said members of the association would use the one-week period to move from community to community to create more awareness on the alarming rate of HIV/AIDS.

Mr Haruna said the Bolgatanga Hospital recorded 89 HIV/AIDS cases last year and 25 from January to June.