Club of retired health workers inaugurated

The Volta Regional branch of the Retired Nurses, Midwives and Physician Assistants Club, has been inaugurated in Ho, with a call for immediate steps to stop the sliding standards of nursing in the country.

Mr Siegfried Kwesi, President of the Club observed that nurse-client ties at health facilities, generally was appalling.

He, therefore, demanded that Nurse Managers took immediate steps, including reprimands and other disciplinary actions, to stop the image slide.

Mr Kwesi, who retired as a Physician Assistant, said standard of nursing across the country should measure up to global standards.

He said some nurses were rude to the elderly and even colleague nurses seeking health services.

Catherine Obosu, Volta Regional Nursing Officer in a speech read for her, reflected the same disappointment in the dwindling societal respect for nurses because of the attitudes of some of them.

She expressed worry over nurses engaging in long and frequent calls, and staying glued to the messaging application on smart phones, “whatsapping,” while on duty.

“In spite of the value of the profession, nurses no longer care about the ethics of the profession.

“Our dressing, attitude towards clients and general conduct leave much to be desired.

“Nurses must exhibit professionalism in terms of everything that relate to our work,” Madam Obosu stated.

She counseled nurses “never to react negatively towards any client, no matter the extent of provocation.”

Edward Kaba, Deputy Director, Administration at the Volta Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), urged the retired nursing groups not to stand aloof while the profession suffered image problems.

Serian Brown-Orleans, National President of the Club, observed that (members were retired, but not tired, and should keep active schedules to keep healthy.

Mr Kwaku Asante-Krobea, President of the Ghana Registered Nurses Association (GRNA), said the nation was so much obsessed with “the youth and staying young,” and so had turned its back onto the “lives and needs of the elderly”.

He said the state’s acclamation of the aged regularly might only be paying lip-service to their needs, even with regards to health services.

Mr Asante-Krobea gave an example of a 94-year-old man who went to hospital and complained about a painful left leg, only to be asked by the physician, what he expected at 94, to which the old man replied, “my right leg is also 94 but is not paining.”

“This story illustrates our tendency-and this is true not only of doctors but many of us- to attribute to ‘old age,’ the variety of problems facing an older person, without looking further,” he stated.

Ms Helen Adjoa Ntoso, Volta Regional Minister in a speech read for her, said government would continue to initiate policies that would improve the lives of the aged.

She urged the retired health workers to help imprint on the minds of Ghanaians that good health and good sanitation practices were intertwined.