Trainee nurses and midwives kick against high fees

The Ghana Nurse and Midwife Trainees’ Association (GMNTA) has accused the Nursing and Midwifery Council of a ploy to deny needy students admissions to health colleges in the country, hence the decision to increase admission fees for the 2016/2017 academic year.

Students who gained admission into the various nursing and midwifery training colleges across the country are to pay a total of about GHS 4,850 as admission fees.

But this has not gone down well with GNMTA, which is of the view that the Nursing and Midwifery Council, together with the relevant institutions in the health sector, is insensitive to the plight of Ghanaians by charging such exorbitant amounts for admission.

National Chairman of GNMTA Godwin Akazee, who spoke with Class News, argued that authorities should have factored in current unfavourable economic conditions during deliberations on the fees.

“It is coming at a time when people cannot afford the fees of nurse training institutions. You have to pay all this amount and when you finish, you are not going to be bonded; you have to go and look for your own job. So, some of these things we think government can do something about it,” he explained on Tuesday August 16.

According to him, a petition had been presented to government for intervention to reduce the fees or find a means to cushion students from bearing the full cost. He added that GNMTA held discussions with relevant authorities at the Flagstaff House on August 8 and hoped for a positive response.