Bolgatanga, Upper West – Madam Philomins Woolley, the Acting Registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) of Ghana, has expressed concern about the state of the country's nursing and midwifery professional training. She highlighted increasing student populations, compromised quality of institutions and programs, and the need for enhanced quality assurance.
Addressing the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Conference of Heads of Health Training Institutions (COHHETI) in Bolgatanga, Madam Woolley emphasized the importance of student-lecturer interaction in determining the quality of the teaching and learning process. She stressed the need for quality assurance measures such as accreditation, support, and supervision.
According to Madam Woolley, Ghana's nursing and midwifery training institutions are currently grappling with a surge in student numbers that has not been matched by an equivalent increase in infrastructure and human resources. She explained that over-admission of students had resulted in crowded classrooms, with some resorting to online education due to a lack of physical space.
Madam Woolley said, “We the stakeholders, therefore, cannot assure the public we serve, of the quality of some of our training institutions and programs.” She also highlighted the disproportionate ratio of students to patients during clinical attachments, indicating an imbalance in resources.
Quality assurance and accreditation, according to Madam Woolley, must adhere to strict requirements and standards, with nursing and midwifery training being no exception. She stressed that commencing training programs without the proper accreditation from the regulatory body was detrimental not only to the quality of education but also to the state.
The Acting Registrar called for collaborative efforts from all key stakeholders to ensure the quality of nursing and midwifery education, asserting, “We need the quality.”
Professor Ahmed Abdullai Jinapor, the Acting Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), highlighted the moral imperative of maintaining high standards in healthcare education. He emphasized that quality education for healthcare professionals was critical for the well-being of individuals and communities.
In developing countries with limited healthcare resources, the need for high-quality training of healthcare professionals becomes even more significant.
Professor Jinapor underscored the vital role that healthcare professionals play in ensuring the health and well-being of society, emphasizing the importance of high-quality education for future healthcare workers.
As the healthcare sector remains central to the nation's well-being, it is imperative that healthcare professionals receive the highest quality education to prepare them for the challenges of modern healthcare.
Professor Jinapor concluded that high-quality training was essential in addressing the human resource challenges of the healthcare system in developing countries like Ghana.
