Ministry presents buses to training institutions

Accra, Dec. 18, GNA - The Ministry of Health, on Tuesday presented 10 buses valued 80,000 Ghana cedis (800 million cedis) to 10 health training institutions to facilitate their operations, especially field work.

The 62-seater VW Mascarello buses procured by government would also convey students from their various institutions to health centres for affiliate courses. Major Courage Quashigah (Rtd), Minister of Health, presented the keys to the vehicles to the principals of the various institutions. He said the buses were the first consignment of 35 procured for health institutions in the country and the remaining 25 were expected into the country next year.

Major Quashigah said the Ministry would institute a competitive vehicle maintenance award scheme to reward the institution that would best maintained its bus.

He said this would start after the first year of use of the buses with assistance of the Ministry's transport unit and the Inter-City STC Company Limited, which would examine the buses. Dr Yaw Antwi-Boasiako, Head of the Human Resource Development of the Ministry, said intake of health training institutions had increased six fold within the last four years.

He said, "there is the need for a bus to facilitate their movement of students to the fields."

Dr Elias Sory, Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, commended the Minister for its vision and asked the principals to ensure that the buses were used for the indented purpose. The beneficiary institutions are Bawku Nurses Training Centre, Jirapa Community Health Nurses Training School, Tamale Community Health Nursing Training School, Kintampo Rural Health Training School, Agogo Nursing Training School and Oda Community Nursing Training School. The rest are Sekondi Nursing and Midwifery Training School, Keta Health Assistants Training School, Ankaful Nursing Training School and Korle Bu Midwifery Training College.