Ms. Monica Nkrumah, Principal, Holy Family Nursing and Midwifery Training College (NMTC), Berekum says stakeholders’ consultations were advanced for the commencement of Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree programme in Mental Health Nursing at the College.
She said the Mental Health Authority and the Ministry of Health had given approval for the start of the programme from the 2023/2024 academic year to produce qualified mental health nurses to help expand the mental health workforce at health facilities nationwide.
Ms Nkrumah made the announcement when she was speaking at the 2022/2023 matriculation ceremony of the College at Berekum in the Bono Region.
A total of 427 applicants that comprised 200 for registered midwifery and 227 for registered general nursing were admitted for the College’s twin campuses at the Holy Family Catholic Hospital at Berekum, Berekum East Municipality and at the St. Mary’s Catholic Hospital at Drobo in the Jaman South Municipality of the region.
She stated the need for the nation to train more mental health professionals to be deployed to the health sector alongside the increasing population for a positive impact to ensure the quality state of the citizenry’s mental health.
Ms Nkrumah said the consequences of poor mental health on the general population were so palpable that it could predispose victims to a variety of physical illnesses.
This she said could result in the reduction of the quality of lives and individual productivity with associated fewer opportunities for income which might affect the total national productivity.
Ms. Nkrumah added the state of poor mental health could also account for crimes like violence, drug trafficking, child abuse, paedophilia, suicide, and other social vices.
She expressed worry about the mass migration of health care professionals abroad, saying it had become a major challenge confronting the health care fraternity in the country.
Ms Nkrumah said research has shown an average of 400 to 500 nurses and midwives left the country every month to seek greener pastures abroad which had created a massive shortage of personnel in the sector.
She assured parents and guardians of the College’s commitment to providing the students with a friendly environment since both teaching and non-teaching staff were dedicated to preparing them for productive work in the future.
Ms Nkrumah therefore urged parents and guardians to pay their children and wards school fees on time and to settle their indebtedness to enable the College to provide the basic and required equipment and logistics to facilitate effective teaching and learning.
Source: Ghana News Agency