Ghanaian Institution Trains Nurses For USA

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has identified a training institution in the country which illegally trains nurses to work in the United States of America (USA).

The Chief Executive of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, who made this known, said the practice defeats the government’s objective of providing quality health delivery in the country. He said this when he addressed a luncheon meeting with financial institutions in Accra.

Professor Frimpong-Boateng, who did not name the institution, said the hospital authorities are still investigating the circumstances under which the institution was established and those behind it. He expressed concern over the cream of professional who leave the country daily after they have received their training and said “this is bad for the development of the health sector.”

He said although the private sector plays a vital role “in our development efforts this should not be done to the detriment of our health deliver.” Professor Frimpong-Boateng said the hospital has begun a three-storey building project to house the security, social welfare, accounts, audit and the transport departments. He also expressed concern over the rampant encroachment on the Korle-Bu land and said the authorities will put in measures to have the practice stopped.

“I am sad to announce to you that one-quarter of the Korle Bu land has been encroached upon, particularly in 1966. We will have to do what it takes to stop the practice,” he said.

According to Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, although the hospital needs about $300 million annually to enable it develop, effectively it receives only $10 million and said this “explains why we have to generate funds ourselves to support what we receive.”

He announced that the staff of the hospital have decided to make a monthly contribution of ?5,000 per head towards the improvement of the hospital. He said the decision was a policy adopted by the staff to initiate programmes and plans to complement government’s efforts at improving the hospital. Prof. Frimpong-Boateng said the hospital has the capacity to accommodate 1,600 patients and treat about 1,000 out-patients daily, under very trying conditions.