Catholic Priest bemoans growing moral decadence in society

The Most Reverend Mathew Kwasi Gyamfi, President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, has bemoaned the growing trend of moral decadence among the current generation.

He noted that the problem could partly be attributed to the breakdown of ethics in schools and homes, which had also contributed to high levels of indiscipline “among young people who grow without a clear understanding of what is acceptable in society.”

Most Rev. Gyamfi, who is also the Bishop of the Sunyani Catholic Diocese, raised the concern when he addressed the 28th matriculation ceremony of the Berekum Holy Family Nursing and Midwifery Training College at Berekum in the Bono Region.

The ceremony was held on the theme: “Call to Serve: Forming Compassionate and Ethical Nurses and Midwives in Faith and Practice.”

Most Rev. Gyamfi expressed worry that “in Ghana, politicians, stakeholders and society as a whole are talking about indiscipline but have failed to teach young people about community ethics.”

He cited that many nurses were demonstrating poor attitudes in hospitals due to a lack of ethical training.

He advised students to learn more about ethical standards in their training and urged nurses to be sensitive to the plight of their clients, respect them, and help save precious lives.

The Catholic priest indicated that healthcare was practical and not just theoretical, and advised the students to be prepared to face challenges and make sacrifices.

Most Rev. Gyamfi entreated families and academic institutions to instil a high sense of discipline and moral uprightness in children, urging that: “Let’s catch them young and teach children about ethics and morals to shape their behaviour and decision-making.”

Madam Monica Nkrumah, Principal of the College, said the institution had expanded its academic programmes. She explained that the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) had granted accreditation for the college to run a BSc Nursing programme.

She said the college achieved a 100 percent pass rate for the 119 Registered General Nursing candidates and a 98.18 percent pass rate for the 111 Registered Midwifery candidates in the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) terminal examinations.

Madam Nkrumah mentioned inadequate infrastructure, including lecture halls and staff accommodation, an uncompleted Assembly Hall project damaged by rain, and staff attrition as some of the challenges confronting the college.

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