A joint first-ever regional matriculation ceremony, has been held in Sunyani for 1,623 matriculants from six Government Health Training Institutions in Brong-Ahafo.
The matriculatants were from the Sunyani Nursing Training College/Health Assistants Training School (NTC/HATS), 384, Seikwa NTC/HATS in the Tain District, 278 and Ntotroso College of Health (NCoH) in the Asutifi North District, 254.
The other three schools were Tanoso Community Health Nursing Training School (CHNTS) in the Tano North District, 250, Nursing/Midwifery Training College (N/MTC) at Goaso in the Asunafo North Municipality, 220 and Nursing/Community Health Training School (N/CHTS) at Techiman-Krobo in the Techiman North District, 237.
The innovation, executed by a joint organizing committee of the six institutions, aimed at maximizing the use of time while reducing cost that would have otherwise been incurred by the individual schools to achieve value for money.
It was also meant to minimize travel/health and safety risk, associated with traveling on different times to each of the schools, by the Ministry of Health (MoH), Nurses and Midwifery Council (NMC) and other state officials, probably to deliver same addresses at equal functions.
Mr. Eric Opoku, Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, advised the matriculatants to consider the nursing profession they had chosen as a call to serve humanity, emphasizing therefore that they must be guided by the virtues of dedication, discipline and hard work, during the period of their professional training and practice on the field.
Mr. Opoku reminded them that they could become highly professional nurses or midwives, only with good hearts, high regard for fellow human beings, humility and the fear of God, to portray the good qualities in Nursing.
Mr. Kwame Boakye-Yiadom, Principal of NCoH, urged them not to see the profession as just money-making opportunity, saying without that fore-knowledge they would throw aside the ethics and values required to manifest in their professional practice.
Mr. Boakye-Yiadom, however, explained that the remuneration aspect as employees after school, was equally important, but he stressed, premium must not be placed on that at the expense of human services like love, care and empathy towards patients, and comfort for the dying, as portrayed by Florence Nightingale, the Pioneer Nurse.
The matriculatants who consisted of under-graduate diploma students in Registered General Nursing, under-graduate diploma students in Registered Midwifery and under-graduate certificate students in Registered Community Health Nursing, were led to take the Matriculation Oath by the Principals of the six institutions.
