Infrastructure at nurses training colleges to be upgraded

Ho, April 30, GNA - The Ghana Health Service (GHS) is to facilitate the early up grading of infrastructure and other learning facilities at the nurses training colleges to meet the Accreditation Board's criteria for granting the colleges' current diploma course the tertiary status. Dr Andrews Arde-Acquah, Volta Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), said this at the induction of 106 newly admitted Diploma Group 7 students into the Ho Nurses Training College in Ho on Friday. He said the Volta Regional Health Directorate would ensure that the programmed phase-by-phase work on the multi-billion cedi New Nurses College Complex in Ho was on schedule.

Dr Arde-Acquah said, meanwhile the Directorate would continue to work for the improvement of facilities at the present site of the College and promised that all classrooms would be fitted with public address systems.

He said the increase in intake had put a lot of strain on the tutorial staff and domestic site of the institution but expressed optimism that the "Ministry of Health will provide the necessary funding to motivate the staff and also provide the necessary logistics to meet the challenges."

Dr Arde-Acquah reminded the intakes that their chosen profession was a calling, which required competence and character and the ready outflow of emphatic interpersonal skills.

Mr James Agboada, Principal of the College said provision of additional facilities over the past year, including six big pavilion classrooms had enabled the College to increase intake from the usual 40 to 106.

He said the sister Enrolled Community Health School also doubled intake to more than 200.

Mr Agboada said already the improved facilities, which also included a fully air-conditioned 33-seater Toyota Coaster bus had translated in improved performance in the "Licensure Examination from 38.5 per cent pass last year to 61.15 per cent, this year."

He appealed to stakeholders in the college to provide additional buses to facilitate transportation of students to educational and clinical study sites, a computer laboratory with at least 60 computers hooked to the net to keep both students and lecturers current. "We should not be telling tomorrow's children, yesterday's information," Mr Agboada stated.

He said with the envisaged hike in intake again next year, it was urgent that the College be provided with more demonstration rooms to "enhance the practice of psycho-motor skills". Mr Agboada expressed the hope that, barring the current attrition rate of nurses in the country, the increased intakes at the Ho Nurses Training College could meet the nursing requirements of the Region in a few years.

Mrs Felicia Otchery-Darko, Principal State Attorney in the Volta Region, inducted the new students, including 32 males, clutching lighted candles, into the College.

They pledged among other things to thread the footsteps of Florence Nightingale, be kind, patient and just to patients. 30 April 05