The Nurse Educators’ Group, Ghana has threatened to lay down its tools should the Ministry of Health and the appropriate health authorities fail to improve the working conditions of its members by ending of August this year.
The Nurse Educators’ Group (NEG), inspires, teaches, and mentors the next generation of nurses, leading the way to the future of patient care. Without them, graduating nurses would be ill-equipped to face the ever-changing demands of today’s dynamic healthcare system.
At its National Annual General Meeting held in Sunyani, the Bono Regional Capital, the Chairman of NEG-Ghana, Matthew Adamu Bakinam, stressed that despite some successes chalked by leaders of the group, they are still confronted with several changes including; perennial delays in promotions and conversions, book and research allowances, low rate for research, supervision, practical and marking allowances, the uncertainty surrounding the migration of the health training institutions to tertiary status as well as the generally poor working conditions of nurse educators.
He, however, gave a word of caution to the Ministry of Health, COHHETTI, as well as other stakeholders as a matter of urgency, to resolve their long-standing concerns before school reopens in August 2022, or else they would advise themselves.
“As we all know prices of goods and services are on the rise and yet our salaries are still the same, no improvement so that is why we are pleading with the Ministry of Health, COHHETTI and other stakeholders to help resolve our concerns before the end of August 2022 or else we will advise ourselves,” he said.
General Secretary of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), David Tenkorang-Twum, called on politicians not to meddle in the affairs of nursing and midwifery training institutions.
This, he said will help principals to independently execute their duties in order to produce courteous and diligent health practitioners.
“Most of the principals are scared to crack the whip because they will be transferred if they dare. What I want to say is that politicians should stay away from issues concerning nursing and midwifery which will help to produce selfless and diligent nurses to serve patients. I blame the recalcitrant behavior of some nurses on politicians due to their protocol placements,” he noted
Deputy Chief Health Tutor and also Vice Principal of Tepa Nursing and Midwifery Training College, Albert Opoku spoke about the need for NEG to upgrade themselves to achieve the universal health coverage thus, SDG Goal 3 of the World Health Organization (WHO).
He explained that: “as Nurse Educators who have been tasked with the onerous responsibility to achieve the training of highly knowledgeable, skilled, and specialists nurses and midwives at the tertiary level, it is important to update our knowledge and skills in the modern system of running tertiary institutions.”
He added the feat could be achieved through post-graduate specialist training in the relevant subject areas to build strong, robust and respected faculties.
The Annual General Meeting was held on the theme; “Updating the Skills of Nurses/Midwives Educators towards the Tertiary Status Attainment of Health Training Institutions.
By: Larry Paa Kwesi Moses|Onuaonline.com|Ghana
