Inadequate classrooms halt intake of nursing students

The Midwifery Training College in Atibie has suspended intake of students for the Health Assistants Clinical (HAC) programme since 2010 due to inadequate classroom infrastructure for students.

Mrs Paulina Osabutey, the Principal, said: “our inability to run the HAC programme over the last three years has adversely affected the people of the Kwahu Ridge and the adjoining communities.”

Mrs Osabutey, who was speaking at the second graduation of the 2007/2012 batch of Midwifery/HAC of the College, said the problem had also impacted negatively on the availability and the distribution of needed nursing human resources across health facilities in the Eastern Region.

“We, therefore, need additional classroom structure with the capacity to accommodate about 300 students as a matter of urgency not only to rectify the situation but more importantly to provide the youth in the area with practical employable skills that can be deployed for the benefit of the communities.”

Mrs Osabutey, therefore, appealed to the Ministry of Health, through the Regional Minister, the Regional Health Directorate, the Kwahu South District Assembly and all stakeholders who desire to see quality Nursing and Midwifery services to come to their aid.

The principal said sound academic discipline and quality training of nurses and midwives require the availability of adequate number of tutors to teach, guide and mentor students qualitatively.

She said, unfortunately, that was not the situation in the school as tutors continue to refuse postings to Atibie, citing various reasons including lack of accommodation.

Mrs Osabutey said the issue of getting decent accommodation for tutors must also be tackled with all the seriousness it deserves.

She said another serious challenge facing the school was the lack of a mini bus to convey smaller groups of students for practical work, and this is besides the absence of a standby generator for the school.

The principal said that since the school was disconnected from the power supply to the Atibie Government Hospital about a year ago, both students and tutors continue to endure complete darkness anytime the national grid goes off.

She said when the affiliation procedures are concluded, the college would now be in a position to award Diploma Certificate from the KNUST alongside the professional license certificates from the Nurses and Midwives Council.

Mrs Osabutey congratulated the graduates and charged them to let their light shine wherever they may find themselves.