‘Help achieve universal access to improved health care’
The Minister of Health, Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, has urged stakeholders in healthcare delivery to help achieve universal access to improved healthcare services in the country.
He said such an objective would also require a collaboration among the Ministry of Health (MoH), the Nursing and Midwifery Council (N&MC) and other regulators in the health sector to pool resources to produce quality professionals who would be on top of their job.
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The minister also called for more capacity-building programmes to equip health practitioners with modern skills for efficient delivery.
He was speaking at an induction ceremony held by the N&MC for newly qualified nurses and midwives in the Southern zone of the country in Accra yesterday.
Induction
In all, 8,610 nurses, nurse assistants and midwives were inducted into the profession after passing their licensing examination.
The inductees were drawn from nursing and midwifery institutions from the Greater Accra, Eastern, Volta, Central, Oti, Western and Western-North regions.
Those who excelled in their respective courses were presented with awards.
The Chairperson of the 14th Governing Board of the N&MC, Rev. Veronica Darko, took them through the professional oath.
Commitment
Mr Agyeman-Manu said given the critical role the health sector played in national development, it was important for practitioners to live above reproach and be committed to their work.
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"I implore you to always remember that under the beautiful uniforms you wear are people who have helped you to get there so you need to develop the right attitude by providing competent, safe, prompt and efficient service to people in need," he said.
The minister added that the government was making efforts to recruit more nurses to serve in all parts of the country.
Advice
The Rector of the Ghana College of Nurses and Midwifery, Ms Hannah Acquah, advised the inductees to adhere to the professional standards and ethical principles underlying the health profession.
She said there was also the need for health practitioners to be innovative and meticulous in the line of duty since any mistake they made could have dire consequences on patients.
Ms Acquah also asked them to leverage technology to improve on their competencies.
"Your profession is one that requires continuous learning so you must be willing to learn and acquire knowledge that will keep you relevant to yourself, your patients and the country.
"Respect the uniform you wear and be cautious of the fact that the uniform is not for showing off in town, but to render dedicated service to save lives," she added.