First ENT specialist nurses graduate at KATH

Kumasi, July 14, GNA - The first batch of 13 nurses who undertook a one-year specialised training programme in Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) nursing at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), on Wednesday graduated at a ceremony in Kumasi.

The specialised ENT nurses were expected to handle common and frequent ear, nose and throat conditions in the absence of specialist medical practitioners in their respective hospitals and also assist medical practitioners to render quality health care in diverse ways.

In an address, Dr Ken Sagoe, Director of Human Resource Development of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) said, advances in technology and medicine had led to the expansion in the scope of nursing and that, the delegation of functions to nurses to provide requisite specialised care by applying specialised competencies to manage conditions, had also placed additional responsibilities on the nursing profession.

He said the establishment of the specialised ENT nursing programme was therefore, to support the modernisation of the health system and health services so that, ENT services could be provided by trained and highly skilled health professionals.

It was also set up to provide support to the teaching hospitals, regional, district, sub-district and community based services in the management and prevention of diseases and disabilities related to ear, nose and throat regions on the body.

Dr Sagoe said the ENT programme was also to provide an opportunity for career development in the nursing profession and motivate staff to stay in the country to serve Ghanaians.

He gave the assurance that the GHS would provide the nurses with the relevant recognition and support to make their job satisfying and fulfilling in order to attract more nurses to the ENT programme and other specialised nursing programmes.

Miss Veronica Darko, Senior Deputy Registrar of the Nurses and Midwives Council, urged the specialist nurses to practice their profession within the confines of the law and maintain high professional standards at all times.

She advised them not to relent on their achievement but to continue to work hard to attain higher laurels in their chosen profession.

Mr Abdul Rahman Shaban, Co-ordinator of the programme, appealed to the GHS to provide permanent infrastructure and equipment to support the programme.

He said currently, 17 nurses were undertaking the programme and pledged that the school would be able to provide specialised ENT nurses to each regional hospital in the country by the year 2007.