A car and property tracking security device to help curb crime and protect property in the country has been launched in Accra.
The Tramigo T22 GPS/GSM device, enables busy business owners, companies, transport owners, taxi owners and drivers to track, control and monitor their vehicles and assets simply from their GSM phone.
The Tramigo T22 was designed to report a range of vital information, such as location, speed and duration of trips by any vehicle (including boats, trucks, etc.) directly to an authorised mobile phone.
It also generates journey reports and monitors the usage of vehicles by advising when the ignition of a vehicle is switched on and off.
Launching the device yesterday, the Minister of Transport, Mr Mike Hammah, said the technology could not have come at any better time than now.
“The product certainly has come in good time to support and enhance some of the measures recently introduced by the Ministry of Transport and the National Road Safety Commission, including the use of log books in all commercial vehicles to help check [speeding] by tracking when vehicles depart their operational terminals and when they arrive at their destinations,” he said.
Mr Hammah noted that the crime prevention benefit of the product in enabling owners to demobilise their vehicles when stolen would go a long way to curb the numerous reported cases of snatching and stealing of cars by armed robbers in homes and the streets.
He said as the country envisaged to make Ghana the gateway to Africa and the subregion, issues of security could not be overlooked as it remained a major factor in attracting or otherwise turning away foreign investors, travellers, tourists and foreign capital.
He was hopeful that all road transport stakeholders, the general public and the security agencies especially the Ghana Road Transport Co-ordinating Council, would take advantage of the technology to bring about some level of safety and security in the society.
The Chief Executive Officer of Proffworld Link Consult (PLC), the main distributors of the device, Mr Hugh K. Aryee, said his company would collaborate with the Ghana Police Service to enhance security in the country.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Boost for public sector housing (27/04/09)
THE Public Sector Housing Fund established by the government, has provided seed money of GH¢10million to the HFC bank to disburse as mortgages at affordable interest rates to public sector employees.
This is part of a new strategy adopted to address the problem of house financing to provide shelter for majority of Ghanaians.
The Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr Albert Abongo, said this in a speech read on his behalf at a luncheon organised by the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) and the Ghana Real Estate Development Association (GREDA) in Accra on Thursday.
The minister said as a result of the lack of a body to regulate the activities of real estate developers, estates had been developed without social amenities.
“In other cases, estate developers have charged home owners for services which they never provided,” he added.
He said the quality of work on some of the houses also left much to be desired, adding that some estates were gradually turning into slums, thereby eroding the capital value of the properties.
He announced that the ministry would soon engage stakeholders to come out with regulatory framework for the industry.
Mr Abongo said factors such as the industry’s dependency on imported building materials, inaccessibility of land, private individuals delivery of 90 per cent housing stock and the unavailability of mortgage finance were constraints that made houses expensive and impeded the increase in housing delivery.
He emphasised government’s commitment to improve the housing situation in the country.
He said the draft revised housing policy was ready and is undergoing strategic environmental impact assessment by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) before it is sent to Cabinet and Parliament for formal approval.
The President of GREDA, Dr Alexander Tweneboa, said the purpose of the meeting was to highlight issues of concern to GREDA and the challenges that the private sector faced in the housing sector.
He expressed optimism that the dialogue would form the basis of future discussions to work together and achieve the dreams of homeowners and decent accommodation for majority of Ghanaians.
He said Ghana was currently facing an acute housing problem, adding that, production was only above 30,000 units per annum instead of the annual estimated requirement of 110,000 and 140,000 units.
He said in order to develop a sustainable way forward, there was the need to dialogue with government on ways in which GREDA could assist government to effectively play its facilitation role in the housing industry and provide Ghanaians with affordable houses.
Dr Tweneboa suggested that as the government sought to reduce unemployment, emphasis should be placed on the construction industry as a major growth pillar for accelerated growth, social cohesion and economic empowerment.
He made a couple of policy suggestions, which he said would make it possible for the private sector to assist with the delivery of affordable housing.
They included the lifting of Value Added Tax/National Health Insurance Scheme (VAT/NHIS) levies on building materials, restructuring and strengthening of the Town and Country Planning Department and encouraging partnerships between financial institutions and municipal authorities.
This is part of a new strategy adopted to address the problem of house financing to provide shelter for majority of Ghanaians.
The Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr Albert Abongo, said this in a speech read on his behalf at a luncheon organised by the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) and the Ghana Real Estate Development Association (GREDA) in Accra on Thursday.
The minister said as a result of the lack of a body to regulate the activities of real estate developers, estates had been developed without social amenities.
“In other cases, estate developers have charged home owners for services which they never provided,” he added.
He said the quality of work on some of the houses also left much to be desired, adding that some estates were gradually turning into slums, thereby eroding the capital value of the properties.
He announced that the ministry would soon engage stakeholders to come out with regulatory framework for the industry.
Mr Abongo said factors such as the industry’s dependency on imported building materials, inaccessibility of land, private individuals delivery of 90 per cent housing stock and the unavailability of mortgage finance were constraints that made houses expensive and impeded the increase in housing delivery.
He emphasised government’s commitment to improve the housing situation in the country.
He said the draft revised housing policy was ready and is undergoing strategic environmental impact assessment by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) before it is sent to Cabinet and Parliament for formal approval.
The President of GREDA, Dr Alexander Tweneboa, said the purpose of the meeting was to highlight issues of concern to GREDA and the challenges that the private sector faced in the housing sector.
He expressed optimism that the dialogue would form the basis of future discussions to work together and achieve the dreams of homeowners and decent accommodation for majority of Ghanaians.
He said Ghana was currently facing an acute housing problem, adding that, production was only above 30,000 units per annum instead of the annual estimated requirement of 110,000 and 140,000 units.
He said in order to develop a sustainable way forward, there was the need to dialogue with government on ways in which GREDA could assist government to effectively play its facilitation role in the housing industry and provide Ghanaians with affordable houses.
Dr Tweneboa suggested that as the government sought to reduce unemployment, emphasis should be placed on the construction industry as a major growth pillar for accelerated growth, social cohesion and economic empowerment.
He made a couple of policy suggestions, which he said would make it possible for the private sector to assist with the delivery of affordable housing.
They included the lifting of Value Added Tax/National Health Insurance Scheme (VAT/NHIS) levies on building materials, restructuring and strengthening of the Town and Country Planning Department and encouraging partnerships between financial institutions and municipal authorities.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Unilever hands over prize to winner(27/04/09)
UNILEVER Ghana Limited last Wednesday presented a $38,000 two-bedroom house to the first winner of the Key soap “Aseti ama me” promotion at Oyibi, a suburb of Accra.
The winner, Hajia Aishatu Mumuni, expressed her gratitude to Unilever for the prize.
Hajia Mumuni, who sells salt, used the opportunity to urge members of the public to buy Key soap, since the promotion was real.
The Category Manager of Unilever in charge of Home Care, Mrs Leticia Insaidoo, said the promotion was part of the company’s annual promotion strategies to reward its loyal consumers and give back to society.
That, she said, was to create some excitement in the world of their consumers.
She said there were two tokens, black and grey, adding that consumers who found black tokens while cutting the soap, instantly won laundry bowls while those who found the grey tokens with the inscription “winner + a unique code” won one of the two two-bedroom houses.
She stated that Key soap sought to find a way of rewarding loyal consumers by giving them a gift that would really delight them in these times of economic hardships.
Mrs Insaidoo added that Key Soap was on a mission of making the day-to-day activities of its consumers delightful and assured consumers to expect more from Key soap.
Caption: The winner, Hajia Aishatu Mumuni, holding her key and flanged by members of her family with Mr Akofa Attah (left), Head of Grand Building, Unilever Ghana Limited, addressing the audience after handing over the key to the house to Hajia Aishatu Mumuni.
The winner, Hajia Aishatu Mumuni, expressed her gratitude to Unilever for the prize.
Hajia Mumuni, who sells salt, used the opportunity to urge members of the public to buy Key soap, since the promotion was real.
The Category Manager of Unilever in charge of Home Care, Mrs Leticia Insaidoo, said the promotion was part of the company’s annual promotion strategies to reward its loyal consumers and give back to society.
That, she said, was to create some excitement in the world of their consumers.
She said there were two tokens, black and grey, adding that consumers who found black tokens while cutting the soap, instantly won laundry bowls while those who found the grey tokens with the inscription “winner + a unique code” won one of the two two-bedroom houses.
She stated that Key soap sought to find a way of rewarding loyal consumers by giving them a gift that would really delight them in these times of economic hardships.
Mrs Insaidoo added that Key Soap was on a mission of making the day-to-day activities of its consumers delightful and assured consumers to expect more from Key soap.
Caption: The winner, Hajia Aishatu Mumuni, holding her key and flanged by members of her family with Mr Akofa Attah (left), Head of Grand Building, Unilever Ghana Limited, addressing the audience after handing over the key to the house to Hajia Aishatu Mumuni.
Divine Grace School holds first graduation (27/04/09)
THE Divine Grace School at Weija, which consists of nursery, primary to junior high school level, has held its inauguration and first graduation ceremony.
Fourteen boys and 13 girls graduated from the JHS level.
The Director of Education for Ga West Municipal Assembly, Mr Daniel Budu Asiedu, who addressed the ceremony called on the private sector to compliment government’s efforts at providing formal education for children of school age.
He noted that government had to collaborate with the private sector to achieve goals of the Education Strategic Plan which states that every Ghanaian Child who is of school age should be in school by the year 2020.
Mr Asiedu said formal education was crucial to the socio-economic development of a country, adding that any effort to inculcate knowledge, skills and moral values in the young ones of the society were commendable.
He congratulated the founders of the school for their vision of establishing the school and noted that if an individual was denied formal education, that individual became a liability to the society.
Mr Asiedu said it was important for all stakeholders to collaborate to ensure that children were given the opportunity to access quality education, adding that "If placement by the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) was anything to go by, then one could say that about 70 per cent of placements in the top senior high schools (SHS) were always taken by children from the private schools".
He said this was evident that the private schools were playing their role in the provision of quality education effectively.
The Headmistress of the school, Mrs Mary Theresa Ashun said since its establishment, the school had excelled in many competitions including French and General Science quizzes, sporting activities and recently qualifying to the next stage of a spelling bee competition.
She said the school had awarded 25 students with full scholarships, while 15 have been given half scholarships.
The headmistress said the school was striving to help the children develop holistically so that the high standard required of them would be fulfilled.
She called on philanthropists and benevolent organisations to help the school equip its Science laboratory and the library, as well as complete the construction of a three-storey classroom block, to compliment the delivery of quality education in the school and double the school’s enrolment.
The Member of Parliament for Weija, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, observed that the private sector had contributed immensely to the development of the country.
She urged the staff of the school to teach the students and nurture them into becoming responsible adults and advised parents to spend more time with their wards in order to encourage them in their academic life to help them excel.
Mrs Ashun said the school had a population of 466 students with 39 teaching and non-teaching staff.
The Assembly Member for Bortiannor Electoral Area Mrs Vera Boamah advised parents to visit the school often to see how their wards were doing.
She appealed to the Ministry of Education to reconsider the embargo placed on the supply of text books to private schools.
Fourteen boys and 13 girls graduated from the JHS level.
The Director of Education for Ga West Municipal Assembly, Mr Daniel Budu Asiedu, who addressed the ceremony called on the private sector to compliment government’s efforts at providing formal education for children of school age.
He noted that government had to collaborate with the private sector to achieve goals of the Education Strategic Plan which states that every Ghanaian Child who is of school age should be in school by the year 2020.
Mr Asiedu said formal education was crucial to the socio-economic development of a country, adding that any effort to inculcate knowledge, skills and moral values in the young ones of the society were commendable.
He congratulated the founders of the school for their vision of establishing the school and noted that if an individual was denied formal education, that individual became a liability to the society.
Mr Asiedu said it was important for all stakeholders to collaborate to ensure that children were given the opportunity to access quality education, adding that "If placement by the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) was anything to go by, then one could say that about 70 per cent of placements in the top senior high schools (SHS) were always taken by children from the private schools".
He said this was evident that the private schools were playing their role in the provision of quality education effectively.
The Headmistress of the school, Mrs Mary Theresa Ashun said since its establishment, the school had excelled in many competitions including French and General Science quizzes, sporting activities and recently qualifying to the next stage of a spelling bee competition.
She said the school had awarded 25 students with full scholarships, while 15 have been given half scholarships.
The headmistress said the school was striving to help the children develop holistically so that the high standard required of them would be fulfilled.
She called on philanthropists and benevolent organisations to help the school equip its Science laboratory and the library, as well as complete the construction of a three-storey classroom block, to compliment the delivery of quality education in the school and double the school’s enrolment.
The Member of Parliament for Weija, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, observed that the private sector had contributed immensely to the development of the country.
She urged the staff of the school to teach the students and nurture them into becoming responsible adults and advised parents to spend more time with their wards in order to encourage them in their academic life to help them excel.
Mrs Ashun said the school had a population of 466 students with 39 teaching and non-teaching staff.
The Assembly Member for Bortiannor Electoral Area Mrs Vera Boamah advised parents to visit the school often to see how their wards were doing.
She appealed to the Ministry of Education to reconsider the embargo placed on the supply of text books to private schools.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Divine Grace School Dedicated (23/04/09)
Story & picture: Jennifer Dornoo
§The Divine Grace School at the Ghana Industrial and Commercial Estate Limited (GICEL) Estate at Weija in Accra was dedicated last Monday with a call on teachers to groom their pupils to become great personalities in the future.
Most Rev. Gabriel Charles Palmer-Buckle Accra Metropolitan Archbishop of the Catholic Church, who performed the ceremony, noted that as leaders of the future it was important for teachers to complement the efforts of parents and the society by helping to identify the potentials of children to make them useful adults in the future.
He advised the pupils of the school to be obedient to their parents and teachers so that they can grow in stature, noting that an obedient child would grow in wisdom and have the fear of God in him.
The archbishop noted that like Jesus, children were expected to love their neighbours and do good so that they would become useful citizens in future.
The proprietor of the school, Mr Charles Kwodwo Ashun, said the school which was established in September, 2003 was to suppliment efforts of government to provide education to meet the needs and aspirations of parents who had settled in New Weija.
He noted that the school which started with 14 children now had 466 students with 30 teaching and non-teaching staff.
“It is a fully-fledged private basic school, which has as its motto ‘Knowledge, Humility and Loyalty’ with its first batch of Junior High School (JHS) students currently writing their Basic Education Certificate Examination”, he said.
Mr Ashun said the school would hold its first graduation and official inauguration on Saturday, April 25, 2009.
CAPTION: Most Rev. Palmer-Buckle (left), being assisted by the Headmistress of the School, Mrs Mary Ashun (second left) Mr Ashun and the Parish Priest of SS Peter and Paul Parish, Fr John Straathof (right) to unveil the plaque after the dedication.
§The Divine Grace School at the Ghana Industrial and Commercial Estate Limited (GICEL) Estate at Weija in Accra was dedicated last Monday with a call on teachers to groom their pupils to become great personalities in the future.
Most Rev. Gabriel Charles Palmer-Buckle Accra Metropolitan Archbishop of the Catholic Church, who performed the ceremony, noted that as leaders of the future it was important for teachers to complement the efforts of parents and the society by helping to identify the potentials of children to make them useful adults in the future.
He advised the pupils of the school to be obedient to their parents and teachers so that they can grow in stature, noting that an obedient child would grow in wisdom and have the fear of God in him.
The archbishop noted that like Jesus, children were expected to love their neighbours and do good so that they would become useful citizens in future.
The proprietor of the school, Mr Charles Kwodwo Ashun, said the school which was established in September, 2003 was to suppliment efforts of government to provide education to meet the needs and aspirations of parents who had settled in New Weija.
He noted that the school which started with 14 children now had 466 students with 30 teaching and non-teaching staff.
“It is a fully-fledged private basic school, which has as its motto ‘Knowledge, Humility and Loyalty’ with its first batch of Junior High School (JHS) students currently writing their Basic Education Certificate Examination”, he said.
Mr Ashun said the school would hold its first graduation and official inauguration on Saturday, April 25, 2009.
CAPTION: Most Rev. Palmer-Buckle (left), being assisted by the Headmistress of the School, Mrs Mary Ashun (second left) Mr Ashun and the Parish Priest of SS Peter and Paul Parish, Fr John Straathof (right) to unveil the plaque after the dedication.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Government committed to gender equity (21/04/09)
THE Minister of Women and Children’s Affairs (MOWAC), Ms Akua Sena Dansua has reaffirmed government’s commitment to ensure gender equity in decision-making at all levels in order to attain equal participation of men and women in national development.
She said since women constituted more than half of the country’s population, they should be encouraged to be part of governance and decision-making, since their exclusion from such a process would hamper the attainment of national development goals.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of a two-day stakeholders workshop to discuss the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) gender policy in Accra on Wednesday, the minister said the government’s commitment to mainstream gender issues in development is reflected in the adoption of an Affirmative Action policy which had resulted in the appointment of women into key positions.
She said that was also reflected in the adoption of gender responsive budgeting adding that, that placed a special responsibility on public sector officials to integrate gender into their policies and programmes.
Ms Dansua commended GIMPA for its initiative and expressed optimism that the policy would spell out a well-defined strategy to promote the integration of gender-sensitive programmes in institutional set-ups to help address gender disparities.
She said GIMPA had been identified as one of the institutions responsible for building the capacity of senior public officials in gender mainstreaming skills under the joint Government of Ghana and African Development Bank, Gender Responsive Skills and Community Development project, being executed by MOWAC.
Ms Dansua urged all stakeholders participating in the forum to make valuable contributions to enrich the policy to build the capacity of public servants with the skills of addressing gender inequalities for the attainment of good governance and sustainable development.
The Rector of GIMPA, Prof. Agyeman Badu said the workshop which was organised by the institute in partnership with the Commonwealth Secretariat was to review GIMPA’s gender policy to train leaders to appreciate gender related issues.
He said the leadership of GIMPA was committed to support the Gender Centre to develop a Training curriculum for both gender specific training programmes and cross-cutting gender training into regular programmes.
The Advisor of Governance and Institutional Development Division (GIDD) of the Commonwealth Secretariat, Mrs Janet Kathyola, said there was the need to recognise the relationship between good governance and gender equality, and their mutual contribution to sustainable development, adding that gender equality was core to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
She added that ensuring gender equity in public service delivery and development outcomes required a public service that had the relevant gender competence to make gender the mainstream of all stages of policy and programme implementation processes such as budgeting and human resource management.
She said since women constituted more than half of the country’s population, they should be encouraged to be part of governance and decision-making, since their exclusion from such a process would hamper the attainment of national development goals.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of a two-day stakeholders workshop to discuss the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) gender policy in Accra on Wednesday, the minister said the government’s commitment to mainstream gender issues in development is reflected in the adoption of an Affirmative Action policy which had resulted in the appointment of women into key positions.
She said that was also reflected in the adoption of gender responsive budgeting adding that, that placed a special responsibility on public sector officials to integrate gender into their policies and programmes.
Ms Dansua commended GIMPA for its initiative and expressed optimism that the policy would spell out a well-defined strategy to promote the integration of gender-sensitive programmes in institutional set-ups to help address gender disparities.
She said GIMPA had been identified as one of the institutions responsible for building the capacity of senior public officials in gender mainstreaming skills under the joint Government of Ghana and African Development Bank, Gender Responsive Skills and Community Development project, being executed by MOWAC.
Ms Dansua urged all stakeholders participating in the forum to make valuable contributions to enrich the policy to build the capacity of public servants with the skills of addressing gender inequalities for the attainment of good governance and sustainable development.
The Rector of GIMPA, Prof. Agyeman Badu said the workshop which was organised by the institute in partnership with the Commonwealth Secretariat was to review GIMPA’s gender policy to train leaders to appreciate gender related issues.
He said the leadership of GIMPA was committed to support the Gender Centre to develop a Training curriculum for both gender specific training programmes and cross-cutting gender training into regular programmes.
The Advisor of Governance and Institutional Development Division (GIDD) of the Commonwealth Secretariat, Mrs Janet Kathyola, said there was the need to recognise the relationship between good governance and gender equality, and their mutual contribution to sustainable development, adding that gender equality was core to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
She added that ensuring gender equity in public service delivery and development outcomes required a public service that had the relevant gender competence to make gender the mainstream of all stages of policy and programme implementation processes such as budgeting and human resource management.
Monday, April 20, 2009
(44 upgrade skills in Peri-Operative and Critical Care Nursing) 20/04/09
THE School of Peri-Operative and Critical Care Nursing (PON/CCN) at Korle-Bu has held its third graduation ceremony with a call on the graduates to strive to change the negative perception about health workers, especially nurses.
This, according to the Deputy Director of Human Resource for Health Development (HRHD) of the Ministry of Health (MOH), Dr Kwesi Asabir, could only be achieved, if the graduates worked diligently and humanely as professional nurses.
Forty four nurses graduated, with 21 of them acquiring diploma in Peri-Operative Nursing (PON), while 23 acquired diploma in Critical Care Nursing (CCN).
Dr Kwesi Asabir advised the graduates to use the knowledge acquired to contribute their quota to the development of the nursing profession and the country.
He said the ministry believed quality training of health professionals could only be achieved through the provision of excellent practical training schemes in the form of clinical work, demonstrations and field attractions.
He announced that the ministry had made arrangements to procure more physical anatomical models for nursing schools and utility vehicles to enhance practical teaching and learning.
Dr Asabir said the vibrant post-basic programme being organised by the Peri-Operative and Critical Care Training School was an indication of the ministry’s commitment to speciality nursing and healthcare delivery, even with limited resources.
That commitment, according to him, was borne out of the need to confront persistent and new health challenges that had the potential to derail the nation’s progress towards the goal of wealth creation.
He said the MOH had observed that the school had made significant contributions to speciality nursing and human resource challenges in the health sector.
“The school has also started fulfilling its mandate of improving access to specialist services outside the teaching hospitals and urban areas,” he added.
Dr Asabir congratulated the graduates and expressed the hope that they would put what they had learnt into good practice.
Mrs Cecilia Kalitse from the Nurses and Midwives Council (NMC), who represented the Registrar of the NMC, Mrs Veronica Darko, urged the graduates to serve their clients to the best of their abilities to enhance the image of the profession.
She said most accident victims died out of poor handling, and therefore, called on all nurses to help in the national crusade of teaching the public the right ways of handling such victims to save lives.
She advised nurses to handle clients and patients in their care with great care, and also act professionally.
The school prefect, Mr Joel Kpodo, on behalf of his colleagues, expressed disappointment at the manner in which stakeholders in the health sector treated nurses who had acquired additional skills in peri-operative and critical nursing.
He appealed to the various stakeholders to value the PON/CCN programme not just as an “added knowledge”, but also as a programme which offered the registered general nurses an opportunity to upgrade their professional qualifications to attain promotion to the next available rank.
Mr Kpodo appealed to the government to help equip the institution with modern technologies, learning and training materials and other equipment for quality training.
He also called on the school authorities to introduce distance learning programmes to help more nurses access training and skills in PON/CCN.
Mr Kpodo entreated his colleagues to continue to upgrade themselves and give advanced quality health care to their clients and patients.
Ms Belinda Anukpui and Ms Rejoice Gbologah emerged the best students among the graduates. Seven graduates were also awarded for their dedication and hard work over the years in the school.
They included Mr Joel Kpodo, Ms Belinda Anukpui, Ms Judith Arko, Ms Joyce Odum, Ms Lucy Ofosu-Appiah, Ms Marian Ofori Atta and Ms Salamatu Yusif.
This, according to the Deputy Director of Human Resource for Health Development (HRHD) of the Ministry of Health (MOH), Dr Kwesi Asabir, could only be achieved, if the graduates worked diligently and humanely as professional nurses.
Forty four nurses graduated, with 21 of them acquiring diploma in Peri-Operative Nursing (PON), while 23 acquired diploma in Critical Care Nursing (CCN).
Dr Kwesi Asabir advised the graduates to use the knowledge acquired to contribute their quota to the development of the nursing profession and the country.
He said the ministry believed quality training of health professionals could only be achieved through the provision of excellent practical training schemes in the form of clinical work, demonstrations and field attractions.
He announced that the ministry had made arrangements to procure more physical anatomical models for nursing schools and utility vehicles to enhance practical teaching and learning.
Dr Asabir said the vibrant post-basic programme being organised by the Peri-Operative and Critical Care Training School was an indication of the ministry’s commitment to speciality nursing and healthcare delivery, even with limited resources.
That commitment, according to him, was borne out of the need to confront persistent and new health challenges that had the potential to derail the nation’s progress towards the goal of wealth creation.
He said the MOH had observed that the school had made significant contributions to speciality nursing and human resource challenges in the health sector.
“The school has also started fulfilling its mandate of improving access to specialist services outside the teaching hospitals and urban areas,” he added.
Dr Asabir congratulated the graduates and expressed the hope that they would put what they had learnt into good practice.
Mrs Cecilia Kalitse from the Nurses and Midwives Council (NMC), who represented the Registrar of the NMC, Mrs Veronica Darko, urged the graduates to serve their clients to the best of their abilities to enhance the image of the profession.
She said most accident victims died out of poor handling, and therefore, called on all nurses to help in the national crusade of teaching the public the right ways of handling such victims to save lives.
She advised nurses to handle clients and patients in their care with great care, and also act professionally.
The school prefect, Mr Joel Kpodo, on behalf of his colleagues, expressed disappointment at the manner in which stakeholders in the health sector treated nurses who had acquired additional skills in peri-operative and critical nursing.
He appealed to the various stakeholders to value the PON/CCN programme not just as an “added knowledge”, but also as a programme which offered the registered general nurses an opportunity to upgrade their professional qualifications to attain promotion to the next available rank.
Mr Kpodo appealed to the government to help equip the institution with modern technologies, learning and training materials and other equipment for quality training.
He also called on the school authorities to introduce distance learning programmes to help more nurses access training and skills in PON/CCN.
Mr Kpodo entreated his colleagues to continue to upgrade themselves and give advanced quality health care to their clients and patients.
Ms Belinda Anukpui and Ms Rejoice Gbologah emerged the best students among the graduates. Seven graduates were also awarded for their dedication and hard work over the years in the school.
They included Mr Joel Kpodo, Ms Belinda Anukpui, Ms Judith Arko, Ms Joyce Odum, Ms Lucy Ofosu-Appiah, Ms Marian Ofori Atta and Ms Salamatu Yusif.
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