The heads of three health training institutions have been suspended for charging unapproved fees.
The Health Ministry suspended the heads of Mampong Nurses and Midwifery College in the Ashanti Region, Cape Coast Nursing and Midwifery Training College, and the School Dispensary Optics, Oyoko in the Eastern Region.
The unnamed heads, according to the Ministry, levied students with items including cement bags, electronic systems, and stationary for the 2016/2017 academic year, in contravention of the approved charges.
The Board of Mampong Nursing and Midwifery College has also been dissolved.
Health Minister, Alex Segbia, explains the suspension of the heads will serve as deterrent for other training institution heads.
“We are unhappy about this practice because the exorbitant nature of such fees is defeating the purpose of getting those genuinely interested in providing healthcare into the institutions as against those who can afford it. This will ultimately result in the production of professionals whose dedication to duty will be in question,” the Minister said.
He lamented an extra GHC¢500 as logistic support allegedly being charged by the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) schools. “We ask that such monies should be refunded to the students with immediate effect,” he said.
The Minister revealed that training institutions in the country are are being monitored to punish heads charging unapproved fees.