450 graduate from Oda Community Health Training College

The Akyem Oda Community Health Nursing Training College held its second graduation at Oda during which 450 graduates were presented with certificates.

The graduates comprised 250 students in public health nursing, 175 students in certificate nursing and 25 midwives.

Addressing the graduates, the college principal, Jones Abekah-Baah, urged them to strive to uphold the highest standards in their practice, be advocates for their patients and contribute to the advancement of nursing and midwifery education.

He also encouraged them to aim high and continue developing their skills and knowledge as that was the beginning of the nursing profession which was a lifelong journey of learning and growth.

"Your journey may be challenging at times, but remember that every step you take contributes to a greater purpose," the principal stated. 

Infrastructure

Mr Abekah-Baah announced that the college was constructing a modern three-storey lecture hall complex which was designed to accommodate the growing student population and provide a more conducive learning environment.

He said with advanced technology, comfortable seating and flexible spaces for collaboration, the complex facility would significantly improve the quality of instruction and student engagement.

He admonished the graduates to embrace digital technology, treat it as their friend, use it to increase productivity on the field and to improve their mark.

Mr Abekah-Baah enjoined them to look at problems in their catchment areas such as hunger, poverty, unhealthy lifestyles and poor environment and develop critical thinking to help find solutions to them.

Degree programmes

The General Secretary of the Ghana Registered Nursing and Midwifery Association, Dr David Tenkorang-Twum, who was the guest speaker for the function, called on the government to allow all nursing and midwifery training institutions in the country to run degree programmes to improve the skills and knowledge of their products.

He said countries which awarded degrees to their health professionals were ahead of Ghana in terms of healthcare delivery.

Dr Tenkorang-Twum also appealed to the government to post newly trained health professionals in time as the undue delay in their postings negatively affected their skills and knowledge.

Awards

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Oda, Alexander Akwasi Acquah, who is also a Deputy Minister of Health, advised the graduates to strive to acquire higher academic and professional qualifications.

He used the occasion to institute an annual award scheme of GHc500 for the overall best graduating nursing student.

For a start, Mr Acquah donated GH¢500 to Millicent Darkwah for emerging as the overall best graduating nursing student for this year.

The college had earlier presented a 33-inch digital television set, a quantity of books, GHc500 cash and a certificate to Miss Darkwah as her award.