Team up to deliver improved maternal, child care - Dr Salih urges midwives

The Upper East Regional Minister, Alhaji Dr Hafiz Bin Salih, has underscored the need for teamwork among midwives and other health professionals towards delivering improved maternal and child care.

Particularly, he mentioned that the midwifery profession required team effort as well as immense responsibilities that needed the support of all health workers in order to provide quality care to mothers and newborns.

Matriculation

He made the statement in a speech read on his behalf during the 19th matriculation ceremony of the 2024/2025 academic year of the Midwifery Training College in Bolgatanga.

The event was on the theme: “Embracing the art and science of midwifery; Educating the future with knowledge and skill. We care, we support, we empower”. Out of a total of 536 applications received by the institution, only 217 were admitted.

 Calling

He stated that midwifery was not only a calling but a profession that uniquely blended arts and science, adding, “The profession is the integration of clinical expertise and compassionate care that provides comfort and empathy to mothers and children”.

He mentioned that in the ever-evolving healthcare landscape, midwives must be informed and skilled in the latest advances and practices while maintaining the nurturing and empathetic qualities to create an environment where clients feel safe and supported.

“The midwifery profession goes beyond just learning technical skills on maternal and child health to developing deep commitment to patient-centred care,” the minister said and further urged them to be selfless, compassionate and empathetic to the well-being of others.

He used the occasion to advise the students to comport themselves and be disciplined to acquire the needed knowledge, skills and expertise to be able to discharge their professional responsibilities after completion.

Limitation

The Principal of the college, Christiana Amalba, said unfortunately, the college often faced the difficult decision of declining many qualified candidates as a result of limitations in staff and infrastructural facilities.

She announced the initiation of a four-year degree programme and, therefore, appealed to stakeholders to support the college in addressing its infrastructural challenges by constructing additional hostels and classrooms.

She mentioned that midwives played an indispensable role in maternal and child health as their responsibilities encompassed not only the physical aspects of childbirth but also the emotional and psychological support that women increasingly sought.

The Chairperson of the college’s Advisory Board, Dr Helen Akolgo-Azupogo, in a remark, added her voice to the call for facilities in the institution to be provided to enable the college to accommodate the growing number of students.

Writer’s email: gilbert.agbey@graphic.com.gh.