The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has ordered investigation into admissions into the Nalerigu Nursing and Midwifery College following allegations of non-compliance with government directives regarding student admissions.
The College is accused of admitting a number of students, far exceeding the approved quota.
During a courtesy visit to the North East Region, Minister Akandoh engaged with key stakeholders including the North East Regional Minister, MDCEs and the Regional Health Directorate to evaluate the region’s healthcare capabilities and challenges. A central focus of the visit was addressing the reluctance of medical doctors to accept posting to the region.
The Minister’s itinerary included a visit to the Nalerigu Nursing and Midwifery Training College, where he met with the school’s Management. Discussions centered on the challenges confronting the institution. Minister Akandoh expressed strong disapproval of the Management’s decision to admit 2,750 students, significantly surpassing the government’s stipulated quota of 750.
“This blatant disregard for government directives is unacceptable,” stated Minister Akandoh. “Such actions place undue strain on government resources and exacerbate the infrastructure deficit within the College. I am therefore calling for an immediate investigation into the conduct of the Management to ascertain the reasons behind this non-compliance.” He concluded, “We need to investigate this.”
Earlier, during a visit to the North East Regional Coordinating Council, Minister Akandoh had emphasized the critical need to address the alarming rate of medical doctor deployment refusal, stating, “We must understand the root causes of this reluctance and implement effective strategies to ensure that our healthcare facilities are adequately staffed.”
The North East Regional Health Director Dr Kwabena Sarpong reported that out of the 19 medical doctors posted to the North East Region, only 3 have accepted their postings and reported for duty, highlighting the dire situation.
In response, North East Regional Minister Ibrahim Tia assured Minister Akandoh of his commitment to resolving the issue. He pledged to collaborate with MDCEs to provide essential amenities and incentives, aiming to encourage medical doctors to accept postings and remain in the region.
The situation at the Nalerigu Nursing and Midwifery College escalated when Minister Akandoh confronted the College Management about the admissions discrepancy. He expressed his disappointment, noting that the College had admitted 2,750 students, a figure more than three times the government approved quota of 750.
The College Principal, in defense, explained that they faced immense pressure due to the overwhelming number of applicants and felt compelled to admit as many qualified students as possible.
Minister Akandoh responded sternly, emphasizing that “the government’s directive was clear, and exceeding the quota had severe implications for resource allocation and infrastructure capacity. He questioned whether the Management had considered the implications of their actions, stating, “The approved number was carefully calculated to ensure that we can adequately support the students with allowances and quality training. By admitting such a high number, you risk compromising the quality of education and overburdening the system.
The College Principal acknowledged the error in judgment, admitting, “We should have communicated the situation to the Ministry.”
Minister Akandoh then directed an immediate investigation into the college’s admissions process, stating, “We must determine the factors that led to this decision and hold those responsible accountable, he added that the situation also risks student demonstration due to lack of allowances.
By Solomon Kwame Kanaluwe
